Perception
by Kyouki no kitsune
Summary: People live thier lives defined by what they accept as correct & true. That's how they define 'reality'. But what does it mean to be 'correct' or 'true? Merely vague concepts... their reality may all me an illusion. Can we consider them to be living in their own world, shaped by their beliefs? -Quote Itachi Uchiha(Naruto). NOT an EzioxOC, or self-insert.
1. Chapter 1

An: the Templars might control the guard captains and dictate their orders but the individual low ranked guards still have free-will. Technically if they don't mind the consequences they can still disobey orders.

"The woman has done nothing wrong." Alessandro said.

"Does it matter?" One of the senior guards said with a hint of glee.

Alessandro shifted so his back was to the woman and he was facing his fellow guards. She wasn't a threat anyway.

"Yes it does, we are supposed to protect the civilians not harass them!" Alessandro said. His parents had brought him up right and he wasn't able to just stand aside when such abuse of station occurred.

He took another cautious step between them, one hand by the hilt of his sword and the other in front of him imploringly.

"Just…" Alessandro trailed off.

He was getting nowhere and he was very much afraid that they would turn on _him_ at any moment.

"We only want to have a little fun," the patrol leader said lewdly. The expression on his face let Alessandro know exactly what he meant by 'a little fun'.

Alessandro took another shaky step making his stance clear.

"Stand aside." His patrol leader said, now with a hint of violence in his tone.

Alessandro gulped audibly and shuffled back towards the lady a few inches before holding his ground once more. He couldn't just stand aside. But he knew realistically there wasn't much he could do. He didn't have any real training really.

If he drew his sword he was going to die, he knew.

One of the guards tried to push him out of the way but he managed to hold his ground.

The guards' expressions darkened.

And suddenly he realized that this was the reason his father had been so against his joining the guards. Why his mother had been so sad about it. He had thought it had been an honourable choice.

To protect others... They had known somehow he would stand up for his beliefs. He couldn't let them down.

His resolve strengthened he turned to the patrol meaning to say something more.

But the words died in his throat as the leader slowly pushed aside his cloak and reached for his sword. Letting Alessandro know in no uncertain terms what would happen if he kept this stance.

The young guard had never killed anyone before.

He had never even been in a fight outside the sparring ring and those hardly counted.

He had never even drawn blood against an opponent.

The young guard glanced over his shoulder quickly.

He saw the young lady, likely younger than him by the looks of it, back pressed up against the wall and obviously shaking with fear.

Their eyes met for a moment and he could see dismay warring with hope. She didn't want him to die here, he knew instinctively. But she didn't want to die either.

Alessandro turned back around.

He couldn't win, he knew.

But maybe she could still escape with a little help. Alessandro's body shook as he drew his own sword from its battered sheathe.

He now knew there was no going back.

He was going to die.

He remembered all too clearly how much it had hurt when someone had gotten inside his guard in the ring and sliced his arm.

He remembered the stitches and the doctor.

That evil evil doctor.

The sharp pain and blood dripping down his arm. It had been the first time he felt real fear. Because the look in the other guards face had said he hadn't wanted to stop there.

He knew there would be no timely interruption from the captain this time.

His blade shook in front of him but he didn't back down.

•_•

Ezio stood on the rooftop looking at the scene below.

It had been the woman's screams that had brought him here. But it was the actions of an individual that made him pause.

This was new.

The guard was obviously much younger than his fellows, of which were likely twice his age. The young man was quite obviously afraid.

Always, the threat of violence had been enough to cow the younger guards into standing down before.

This one was different.

The assassin watched from his perch, thankful that guards never seemed to look up.

Ezio could see flaws in the young man's stance and if he could see them, so could the other guards.

He saw the young guard glance down at his forearm. Remembering and old wound perhaps? Ezio thought to himself. It was becoming increasingly obvious that this was the boy's first real fight.

The assassin turned ideas over in his mind as he waited.

He knew that if he killed all the guards but one that he would inadvertently mark the guard as an ally to the assassins and he would face a much worse execution.

But he didn't want the guard to die in this fight either.

So he would have to bide his time.

•_•

Alessandro blocked the first strike against him, bracing his feet against the ground. He turned brought his blade back suddenly as if the guard had overwhelmed his strength, but it was only a trick to unbalance his opponent.

The guard took a stumbling step forward and Alessandro stepped past, pivoting his body and striking at the unprotected back.

The guard fell and didn't move again.

Alessandro froze in shock. He had just…

He was brought out of his stupor by sharp pain. Someone had sunk their dagger into his shoulder and he could feel it hit bone.

The agony dropped him to his knees but Alessandro still had the presence of mind to hold on to his sword.

A guard got around him and he heard a scream.

He looked up from the ground to see the guard had his hands around the woman's neck. With the rest of his strength he drove his blade upwards and into the guard. He didn't hit anything immediately fatal he knew as the guard dropped to his knees and turned to him.

He turned back around and saw nothing except his death in the eyes of the man in front of him.

Alessandro could do no more he knew.

The young guard hunched over and closed his eyes, waiting for the final blow to come.

For the pain and then death.

•_•

Ezio had waited longer enough.

The wounds the young man had received should be more than enough to convince anyone that he had run afoul of the assassins and had miraculously survived.

Ezio's throwing knives found the majority of the remaining guards before he dropped to the ground. His sword was out and had decapitated the last guard before he could finish the injured man on the ground.

He could recruit the woman but he was wary of the guard still. There was a difference between standing up for someone and out and out assassination after all. And his actions pointed more to honour and assassination wasn't exactly the most honourable way to finish an opponent.

As the girl ran off to the hideout he turned to the shaking man on the ground.

Obviously, the boy was still waiting for the final blow and too scared to realize the scuffle had ended.

He couldn't just leave him here, he thought with a sigh.

That would be too cruel and he knew the area around was not very keen on the guards. Though the fight had driven everyone away for now, they'd come back eventually. Ezio winced at what might happen to a wounded man wearing the guards uniform in these parts.

The assassin kneeled down in front of the man ready to react to anything.

When nothing happened he reached out to clasp his shoulder gently.

•_•

Alessandro jumped as someone grabbed him. He was about to pull away when he realized that the hand was just laying there, not restraining him.

Frightened, he looked up at whoever it was.

A man in a white outfit was the last thing he expected, but as the stranger made no threatening movements he relaxed enough to take in other details.

He could see concern and worry on the mysterious hooded man's face.

Alessandro glanced down embarrassed as he realized there were tears running down his face.

But the man didn't mock him for it.

Alessandro could hear him moving closer and his body tensed. But the figure only draped an arm over his shoulders, careful of the knife still in there and put a hand over the one currently braced against the ground.

After a moment Alessandro leaned into the other man, seeking some reprieve from recent events.

"Relax amico, you're not alone." The voice reassured.

Alessandro found his terror lessening but the pain increasing as his body finally registered that the fight was over.

He spared a grateful glance towards whoever this man was. Alessandro wasn't an idiot, he knew he would be dead right now if it hadn't been for him.

•_•

Ezio saw the boy glance up at him again briefly.

He could tell that the man was quite shaken by what had happened and even now was still afraid. But he could also see that he was grateful for the help and likely for the support as well.

The assassin sent what he hoped was a reassuring expression back.

"Let's get you to a doctor, si?" He said gently.

He frowned at the man's increase in fear before realizing the problem, just because the doctors took an oath to do no harm didn't mean they had to be gentle.

It didn't help that the guards were so little loved among the general population.

He guessed that a previous experience had led the man to fear them.

"Relax, I will take you to a _good_ doctor." Ezio said, trying to be reassuring. "Can you stand?" He asked.

The man nodded his head and rose slowly to his feet, alhough he remained slightly bent over in pain. Ezio put an arm around his waist as the assassin didn't want to jostle the boy's shoulder.

Slowly they made their way to one of the doctors set up in an obscure little corner, the kind more frequented by the assassins then the general populace. His presence alone should be enough to make the doctor play nice, even though it was a guard he was being asked to heal.

As soon as they came in sight Ezio could feel the hesitation in the guard's step. The closer they got the more reluctant the man became and by the time they reached the doctor Ezio was all but dragging the kid along.

•_•

Alessandro reluctance increased with every step closer to the doctor. He knew he needed the medical aid but he also feared the pain that he was sure would be involved.

He didn't even hear the conversation taking place as he was too busy trying not to panic.

•_•

"Relax," Ezio told him.

He could see the boy trying to block everything out in an attempt to not panic.

Ezio steered him to the bed the doctor had indicated, glad that this was one of the actual shops and not just a stand. He needed to get the young guard's attention focused on something besides whatever was going through his head right now.

•_•

Alessandro sat on the edge of the bed. He was glad the man hadn't just dumped him off with the doctor, he probably would have just snuck away otherwise.

•_•

Ezio crouched in front of the guard.

"What is your name, young man?" Ezio asked, starting with the easiest question.

•_•

"Alessandro," the guard answered, not wanting to give a family name. He didn't really know this man after all and his skill already proved he was a dangerous person to cross.

"I am Ezio Auditore." The man answered his unspoken question.

Alessandro jerked in recognition of the name. He knew that nobody would dare lie about that particular identity.

He gave the man a long look, studying all the details his pain rattled mind could take in.

He probably should have noticed it earlier. The white robes, the red sash. Nobody would dare counterfeit that uniform. The array of weapons, and he briefly wondered how the man came to need so many.

He had a hard time consolidating the stories he had heard with his experience of today.

The older guards believed the assassins were little more than glorified murders. But he had never been able to believe them, nobody was just one thing after all. The civilian accounts varied. To some he was a saviour and to others an angel of death.

Both accounts had agreed that they were skilled fighters.

He remembered the way the man had fought.

A dance of death, beautiful even in its violence.

Alessandro found himself slightly jealous.

He was not one to let other's opinions dictate how he acted. He didn't know this stranger. Yet. But he was determined to find out more before passing any judgement.

"Forgive me, could I ask a question?" He started uncertainly, wary of provoking the trained killer's wrath.

•_•

Ezio watched the man take in his appearance.

He knew the guards gossiped about him and that the stories they told were exaggerated… mostly. He wondered what conclusions this young man would come to. This Alessandro would put the pieces together. He was sure of it.

"You can ask, but I might not answer." Ezio replied warily.

And because he felt some protectiveness of this one, he added.

"Be careful of your questions." He warned.

The boy flinched as if struck and by his sudden intake of breath, it had hurt. Damn it, he hadn't meant to sound like he was threatening the boy.

"Be careful. I will not lie to you but you might not be ready for the answers to some of your questions." He explained.

Alessandro nodded as though he expected the answer.

This should prove interesting.

"You are an assassin." Alessandro said. It wasn't a question, the boy already knew the answer.

"Si," was the serious but honest reply.

"You have killed people."

That wasn't a question either but Ezio indulged him anyway. "Si, as you already know and as you have already seen." The assassin said softly.

"Why?"

Ah, an actual question this time.

An obvious and expected question, but a question none the less.

But the doctor came and interrupted them before he could answer. The bird masked man sent an irritated look at the assassin.

Ezio ignored him for the time being.

"Relax," he told Alessandro, having seen him regain his wariness. So it _was_ the doctor that bothered him. Good to know. He found it funny that the healer inspired more fear in the young guard then the assassin in front of him. "All will be well." The assassin murmured.

•_•

Alessandro didn't know what to make of the assassin.

He was a killer.

But he had helped him, saved his life even. The assassin, Ezio he reminded himself, had even encouraged and comforted him while the doctor poked and prodded.

But as a guard he was supposed to stop the assassins; to kill them if he could.

He would have to think this through, properly, later. Right now he had a report to give.

He decided to use the excuse that the patrol had been ambushed by the followers of Romulus or whatever the wolf-men called themselves.

Hopefully then the guards would actually do something about them. He wouldn't have to say anything about what his fellow guards had been going to do. Let the families think they had died heroically instead of permanently stopped when they crossed the line. And he could keep the assassin out of it entirely, he owed the man that much at least.

Yes, that's what he would do Alessandro thought with satisfaction. Alessandro made his way slowly and rather painfully back towards the barracks.

•_•

Ezio followed the guard from the rooftops.

It wasn't hard. The man was slow and stiff with pain and he had to know what the guard would say to his superiors.

It had been a risk, giving his name.

But he thought he saw potential in this guard.

Perched on a roof in the shadow of a Borgia tower he eavesdropped shamelessly on the conversation before heading back to the hideout.

So the guard was going to blame the wolf-men cult. Ezio wondered if he knew he was doing the assassins a favour should his superiors actually do something about this. It didn't escape his notice that the story left his late comrades honour intact, or that he failed to mention anything about the assassins.

He could work with this.

~~~

Not sure where I'm actually going with this. I already have chapter 2 typed out but I'ss what the response is before I bother writing a bunch of chapters.

Might be a series of drabbles or might actually follow the plot depending on if people are actually gonna read it or if it's just there for my own entertainment.


	2. Chapter 2

An update since at least two people are reading it.

Thank you justme2134 and scarletflamedance for the alert and yellowhorse for putting me in their C2. You people are awesome.

Alessandro walked into the inn. It was supposed to be one of the more popular places for the guards to spend their leisure time at.

Some he found odd, due to the fact they always lost money gambling.

A few times he could write off as bad luck.

Except it was almost every time.

The few times a guard won it was just a large enough purse to make everyone keep coming back.

He was certain that the gambling was rigged somehow.

But if the guards couldn't figure that out for themselves... Well, it was their money they were wasting.

He had better things to spend his on.

The only reason he was here now was because his fellow guards had all but dragged him along.

He was on light duty due to his injuries.

And everyone believed it was the followers of Romulus that he had been fighting.

The lie sat heavy on him.

He had been brought up to be honest but what else was he supposed to have said?

He wasn't going to start a witch-hunt for the very person who had saved his life.

And the guards weren't likely to believe what had started the fight anyway.

Not to mention he really didn't want to make enemies.

There were to many ways that a fellow guard could 'accidentally' end up dead and he didn't trust his comrades anymore.

So Alessandro sat in a relatively quiet corner nursing a drink.

His 'friends' were somewhere spending all their money on things they likely wouldn't remember the next morning anyway.

The sounds of cheering and someone's rather creative swearing penetrated his depressed mood.

He looked over to the source of all the noise. Instantly his attention sharpened.

Alessandro decided to investigate further since he really had nothing better to do with his time. He left his drink at the table, with all the movement and people packed so close he would only spill it anyway. If it was who he thought it was then this might just be a good night after all.

Alessandro watched the mostly friendly match with interest.

They weren't using weapons which was probably a good thing since most of the patrons were completely drunk.

Where the rest of the crowd seemed intent to watch the spar for the violence and entertainment it provided, Alessandro was trying to figure out the tactics.

He recognized the one man as the assassin from a few days ago. Not that he was wearing the same robes, likely to avoid being noticed.

Alessandro watched as time after time the other man would charge and the assassin would effortlessly dodge. Or another man would throw a punch and somehow miss completely. At first it baffled him. But then Alessandro started looking at individual pieces instead of the whole.

The way the assassin would duck and pivot under a punch before throwing one of his own. Or how he would deflect a kick to the side to avoid harm and then counterattack while his opponent was off balance.

He was starting to see a rhythm to the way the man fought. A pattern that just barely escaped his full comprehension.

Another man went tumbling out of the circle. Aside from a few bruises, Alessandro noticed that Ezio's opponents weren't coming to any real harm.

•_•

Ezio circled his latest opponent. It was child's play to dodge the attacks of the half drunk man.

It had taken him a few moments to realize that someone in the crowd was actually taking the time to study him, rather then the usual drunken cheering. It was that very silence amongst the loud drunken crowd that had allowed Ezio to notice the man in the first place.

It took him a moment longer to realize why the man seemed familiar. It wasn't that Ezio had forgotten the young guard who had gotten himself into trouble earlier that week, but rather he hadn't expected the man to show up here of all places.

But then again, maybe he shouldn't be so surprised after all. Plenty of the guards came here to lose their wages in either gambling or alcohol.

Ezio watched the guard, Alessandro if he recalled correctly, out of the peripheral of his vision. He noticed that he seemed entirely disinterested in the gambling and was probably the only one besides himself who was still sober.

Someone in the guards uniform came up to drunkenly slur something at the younger man who shrugged off his fellow guard's hand with a grimace.

Ah, that made more sense then. Some of his fellow guards must have dragged him out to celebrate or something and he had withdrawn into a corner because the situation was uncomfortable for him.

Ezio had only part of his mind focused on the next fight in front of him. A particularly large guard, a captain by his uniform, and very very drunk.

Ezio rolled his eyes as the captain threw an exaggerated and overextended punch at him. He didn't even have to do anything except not stand still. The captain overbalanced and Ezio simply helped him with a gentle shove behind his shoulder, which knocked him straight into a group of his friends.

The assassin was getting bored of this. None of his opponents were even sober enough to warrant paying attention to, let alone skilled enough to make him work for victory.

"Is there anybody else?" Ezio called tauntingly, hoping that someone with at least a small amount of intelligence would try.

•_•

Alessandro felt himself shoved forward. When he turned to look at the offender it was a very drunk guard that he vaguely recalled having seen around the barracks once or twice before. He was grinning like a maniac and making gestures towards the sparring circle in a less then subtle hint.

Alessandro rolled his eyes, he was not going to get beat up for the satisfaction of a drunk guard who probably wouldn't even remember this the next morning. Hell, given how he was drinking the guard would still be drunk the next morning anyway.

Alessandro turned back to the ring. He noticed nobody else seemed willing to come forward either.

His body tensed when he realized the assassin was staring straight at him and had obviously recognized Alessandro.

He debated with himself for a moment. Obviously this was only for fun for the assassin, none of the other guards had anything more then a few bruises and those were mostly their own fault anyway. There wasn't really any risk but there was the possibility to gain much.

As the moment dragged on, drunken whispers started as the crowd picked up on the tension between the two. Someone else pushed Alessandro slightly foreword with some slurred encouragement and this time he let them.

Cautiously he walked into the circle and faced across the deadly assassin. He could remember all too clearly how easily Ezio had taken down the guard patrol before and was really wishing he had had more to drink. Or perhaps not, as he thought back to the drunken stumbling of the previous people.

•_•

Well, this was interesting; Ezio thought to himself.

The man clearly would rather be anywhere else and yet he had entered the ring of his own violation. Cautiously, slightly fearful, but Alessandro had entered all the same. He was sober too which was a welcome change from dodging drunken idiots.

It seemed though that Ezio had made a rather strong first impression. Perhaps too strong. If the man was stiff with fear he wouldn't be any harder then the drunken fools of earlier. He sent an encouraging grin at his opponent hoping to ease his mind some. Not that he thought it would actually work.

He might have to hold back until Alessandro finally got it through his head that he wasn't in any danger but Ezio wasn't about to throw the fight. Even if it would boost the guard's confidence it would be insulting to both of them and would do more damage in the long run anyway.

He noticed the guard take up the same ready to react stance that Ezio himself had been using most of the night. It didn't surprise him so much, if Alessandro had any sense at all he would realize imitating Ezio's previous opponents wasn't going to do any good. But the stance Ezio had been using was almost purely reactive. It was excellent for defence and counters but not the best for attacking straight out.

Well, he would see how quick Alessandro could be.

Ezio shifted into a stance best suited for attacking. He knew the guard wouldn't attack first and he also knew that Alessandro was smart enough to know he didn't actually have a chance if Ezio decided to actually go all out. So defense would be the best strategy for Alessandro to employ.

•_•

For a moment after the fight began the two just stared at each other. Then Ezio stepped to the side, Alessandro followed him with his eyes before realizing that he would have to move or he wouldn't be able to react to an attack. It came too late that he hadn't really seen how Ezio moved in this position as the assassin's previous opponents had never given him a reason to do anything but wait and counter.

Clumsily at first, Alessandro managed to move his feet and still keep his guard up. He imitated his opponent, their stances might be different but the footwork to move was mostly the same. Alessandro knew he would lose so his goal was rather to land one solid blow then to win. To be able to break through Ezio's defences would be a solid victory in Alessandro's eyes.

Suddenly, it seemed, Ezio to a half step foreword and closed the distance between the two. Alessandro reacted instinctively and stepped back which caused Ezio's punch to harmlessly pass by.

He had thought his instinctual move would have broken his stance but he realized he had simply reversed his stance from right foot forward left foot back to left foot forward right foot back.*

He could dodge.

That gave Alessandro more confidence now that he knew he wasn't going to get hit so easily. If he could move back and foreword could he also move side to side using a similar idea? And he couldn't dodge forever either, he had to attack sooner or later. While Alessandro was thinking he was still dodging punches.

Ezio moved for a straight punch but Alessandro could already see that he was going to actually follow up this time. He had to do something different or Alessandro had no doubt he'd end up aquatinted with the floor. This time as Ezio punched straight at his face Alessandro stepped forward and pushed against Ezio's elbow to avoid being hit. Seeing the assassin continue to move forward from his own momentum, Alessandro improvised. He let the arm he had used to push away the punch wrap around the assassin's neck. He stepped behind the assassin trying to pull him off balance but failed.** He aimed a punch of his own at the assassin's kidneys which never landed.

Alessandro felt Ezio grab the fist of the arm being used to try to choke him but ignored it. Next thing he knew was the assassin dropping to one knee, doing something with his shoulder and Alessandro was flipped over and on his back completely open.***

Ezio still had a grip on Alessandro's arm and could have ended the fight there but he let go and backed off. Alessandro realized that Ezio was as eager to teach as he was to learn. Alessandro got back to his feet a bit stiff but otherwise alright. He knew something went wrong when he had improvised earlier but he didn't know where he made his mistake. But he knew how he could find out.

Alessandro made to punch Ezio in the face, same as Ezio had done earlier. He saw the assassin's eyes widen in realization and heard the light chuckle as he decided to play along. Ezio brought his forearm, targeting the elbow to deflect the punch to the side and down. Alessandro took note that he was using his forearm near the wrist rather then his palm as Alessandro had done to deflect the punch. Ezio brought his arm across Alessandro's throat, stepped behind him as the guard had earlier. But Ezio tapped Alessandro's lower back before he finished the choke and the guard realized that was where he had gone wrong. The seemingly small move forced Alessandro's weight backwards and he lost leverage where his attempt previous had let Ezio retain his balance. It would be much harder to counter now. To complete the move, Ezio brought his free hand to grab the fist of the arm being used to choke Alessandro locking himself in place.****

Alessandro stood there panicked for a moment as his hand went to try and pry Ezio's arm off. An instinctual and entirely wrong move. The hold was intentionally loose Alessandro knew because he could still breath easily but it didn't help him when the man knew he was stuck.

"Calm down." Ezio said quietly, knowing the crowd would assume that he was merely taunting the guard as they couldn't hear the two over their own noise.

"Grab my fist, not my arm." Ezio instructed quietly. "Good, now press in to keep me from countering."

Alessandro realized that he couldn't use the same throw as Ezio had because of the way he had been grabbed, but that didn't necessarily mean he was defenceless either.

"Now you will turn into the side where my fist is and bow under my arm." He heard Ezio explain. "When you get out from under my hold keep your hand on my wrist and use your free hand to take my elbow."**** Alessandro listened carefully, it didn't sound difficult at all. But then, a lot of things sounded easy but in actuality were very difficult. Alessandro took a deep breath before trying to do as instructed. He realized halfway through that Ezio hadn't been trying to resist and was in fact 'letting' him execute the move. In a few seconds he felt relief for having got out of the choke hold and surprise at seeing the dangerous assassin on the ground.

Alessandro let go and backed quickly away, belatedly remembering the stance he was beginning to think of as his. The guard wasn't the only one to be surprised at the turn of events. He could already hear the whispers and starts of drunken betting.

The crowd got mostly quiet with the anticipation of a good fight for once and not the usual drunken brawler.

The assassin got up with a good natured chuckle. Alessandro didn't really consider it a victory because he had been coached through the take down. He wanted to be able to do it himself. But he had to admit that it made him more confident and it showed. The beginnings of a plan started to form in his mind.

He had noticed quite early that Ezio favoured using his arms, either to block or attack, over his legs. It was a good strategy of course, as it made it much easier to keep your balance in a fast paced fight especially if you or your opponent had sharp things in their hand.

Alessandro knew he was more flexible then most and that he had pretty good balance. Or at least he liked to think he did anyway. He also knew his only way to land a blow would be to do something completely unexpected. Or something desperate. He had also noted how the assassin used the least amount of effort possible to avoid getting hit. Usually that meant redirecting an attack and countering or simply moving slightly out of the way rather then dodging completely.

Alessandro started with a series of punches meant more to keep focus on his fists then to actually hit anything. Such simple moves would never get through anyway.

Each punch was blocked or dodged, clear question in the assassin's eyes as he knew Ezio was aware he was better then being a straight foreword brawler. He waited until Ezio stepped foreword to block a punch and no doubt throw one of his own. Quickly he shifted his weight and made as though he was going to kick straight out at Ezio's stomach. Predictably the assassin only leaned back to avoid the strike. Except it was a feint and Alessandro, instead of kicking in front, hooked his foot behind the back of Ezio's ankle and around in a pendulum like motion.****** The assassin stumbled and threw a punch along Alessandro's ribs which hurt like hell but the guard was able to keep going. Alessandro learned from that and the next punch was blocked and he was able to counter with a punch of his own at the side of Ezio's face. The assassin stumbled and fell on his back.

Alessandro made to follow up, thinking he might actually win this fight after all, but was to eager. Instead he all but stepped into a kick aimed at his thigh and down Alessandro went. The assassin was on him in a second and he was pinned to the ground arm held behind him.

Not quite ready to give up he tried to twist away and the assassin adjusted his grip, pain let him know if he kept trying he'd end with a dislocated shoulder through no fault but his own.

He lay there defeated and frustrated for a moment. He knew he was finished but just didn't want to admit it yet. He had managed his goal of landing a solid blow. Besides, he was the only one here who had even managed to make the assassin think.

"I yield." The guard said defeated.

Immediately the pressure on his arm was released and Ezio helped him to his feet. Alessandro winced as his ribs protested but they didn't feel cracked. He rotated his shoulder in an attempt to work out the mild pain from being restrained.

"Sorry about that, you surprised me and I struck harder then I meant to." The assassin said offering his hand.

"That's alright, and I should be the one apologizing." Alessandro said wincing in sympathy at the bruise already forming on Ezio's face as he took the proffered hand.

"It was a good match and proof that everyone can stand to learn something new." Ezio said lightheartedly. "If you really want to make it up to me you can explain how you managed to trip me like that."

"And I'll buy you a drink." Another, teasing, voice said. It belonged to a man, cloaked and hooded much like the assassins, but his robes were of a rusty orange red colour instead of the usual white and he lacked the normal red sash. "It has been some time since someone last tossed my friend to the ground."

The assassin groaned, "why do I get the feeling that somehow," and Ezio's disgruntled look at the newcomer said that he knew exactly 'how', "this is going to get back to the recruits?"

"Because you know me too well." The fox said amicably.

Alessandro understood that these two were friends, as they probably intended him to know. Realizing they were still waiting for a reply he spoke up. "Certainly, that would be great actually and the move isn't that hard. I didn't actually expect to succeed as much as I did." He said shy once more. It was obvious that the guard looked up to Ezio rather highly, at least in skill.

As the three sat at a table the man in the hood introduced himself as La Volpe. It didn't take a genius after that to realize he owned the place. Alessandro was introduced by Ezio and the young guard quietly explained what he had been trying to do. With the other two pointing out his mistakes during the spar and what he could do to improve.

He had found it was a better night then expected.

•••••••••••

This was just writing practice for writing fights since I've never actually tried to before. Also rather difficult to write a master vs little skills.

Yes, I did research. The style of fighting I practice personally, assumes your using either a knife/dagger/similar edged weapon or fighting sticks of some kind. I don't have a lot of hand to hand combat besides the very basics with a bit of aikidou and taekwondo that I've learned from friends who actually learn it.

*step forward step back technique, taekwondo.

**improperly executed kubishimi straight punch hold technique, aikidou.

***one of many different kinds of ushiro kubishimi techniques more specifically kata otoshi (from kubishimi) technique, aikidou. Video 4:47 ( /3-BDfQ3YKk0)

****proper kubishimi straight punch hold technique, aikidou.

*****tenkan ojigi hiji otoshi technique, aikidou.

******K4 ( /0i15KA2nDRw), kumite karate.


	3. Chapter 3

Double update, thanks to Pyro and scarletflamedance for their awesome reviews.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Alessandro stepped through the door of La Volpe Addormentata wearing civilian attire. While he didn't know where the supposed 'secret base' of the assassins was he knew that Ezio frequented this place and he was curious. He had never gotten an answer to his question as the doctor has interrupted them and his focus had been elsewhere. He also found the infamous Ezio Auditore interesting and good company.

It had been a rather busy day with more then the usual amount of drilling going on. He wondered what had the higher ups so nervous. Unless it was anticipation that had everyone working harder.

He saw the man from a few days ago, La Volpe himself, but no Ezio.

Alessandro had a few hours before he had to be home and he didn't see the harm in a drink. Being stuck on injury pay left little money for such luxuries but if today was any indication then he would need the reward to get through the week. Just because he was on light duty it didn't mean he could avoid sparring or boring rants about hunting down the assassins.

He was starting to doubt that the guard were the place for him. He disagreed with his superiors, thought they could use better training and more discipline. Alessandro also didn't like the way people would buy their way into higher ranks.

He wanted to do something, not shuffled to the back and told to behave himself like a naughty child. All the while people he knew were barely competent enough to dress themselves in the morning were given promotions and getting their men killed for their stupidity. Wasn't having command a responsibility? Didn't that imply that those in command should be responsible?

A Borgia tower fell and the captain snuck away in the middle of the fight, disregarding the lives of his own men. Alessandro had even heard he cut down one of his own to escape. The only person to have died in the attack and it was one of the new recruits who still held on to things like honour.

It was only a rumour but still… he couldn't forget how eagerly his own patrol had turned on him.

The fox sat down next to the guard and pushed another cup in his direction. Alessandro glanced at the cup and at La Volpe. "I don't have the money," he said. Just one more thing to pile into the heap of annoyances this week.

•_•

"On the house," La Volpe stated.

The guard looked at him with slight suspicion. Alessandro was right to be suspicious, he didn't do anything without a reason after all.

Even if that reason was curiosity and to relieve his boredom.

"You're right, I do have ulterior motives. How do you feel about deliberate misappropriation of funds?" He asked delicately. It was a test of sorts. The fox wanted to know where he stood morally. He was able to kill in the heat of the moment in order to protect. But he wanted to know if Alessandro would be able to work with the darker side of humanity.

•_•

"You mean stealing." He corrected bluntly.

"Stealing, redistribution of wealth, whatever you wish to call it." The fox said with a shrug.

He hadn't always lived in such a good area. When he was born his parents lived in an area of town where you learned to look the other way or become a statistic. Neither he nor his family had ever been involved with illegal activities but he was aware of them. It was one of the reasons he joined the guards. Better then dying in a ditch because some petty thief panicked and slit your throat.

He had even been able to move his family somewhere nicer.

He no longer had to keep one hand on his purse and another on a belt knife just to walk down the street.

He had nothing against thieves or courtesans. You did what you had to in order to survive. Even if it was distasteful, he still remembered the way his sword had slid through the flesh of his fellow guard.

He still had nightmares about what had happened.

He realized that while he had been thinking La Volpe had been awaiting his answer. Alessandro thought about it carefully. Stealing wasn't something that appealed to him but it was a useful skill to have. And like any skill, he didn't necessarily have to use it. With that justification he delivered his answer.

"The punishments are rather severe though, aren't they?" Alessandro stated carefully.

"Only if you get caught." La Volpe pointed out.

"Then I'd best not get caught then." Was his answer.

He spared the fox a glance and saw a flicker of surprise. Did he really come off as such an innocent law-abiding citizen?

Alessandro was about to reach for the second drink when he found it gone.

The fox sent him a grin. "You'll need all your wits about you boy." He said before downing the contents of the previously offered cup. Alessandro hadn't even realized when e had stolen it back.

La Volpe stood up smoothly and Alessandro scrambled to his feet with far less grace about him. The fox indicated he should follow and so he did, being led to a back room he hadn't been previously aware existed.

Alessandro looked around curiously before returning his attention to the thief lord.

La Volpe waited patiently to become the center of attention once more. When the boy's attention refocused on him he started the lessons.

Alessandro's head was beginning to hurt from all the information to take in. Who would have thought so much work was involved in lifting purses. La Volpe had an almost obsessive attention for detail he was finding out the hard way.

So now he knew how to spot a 'mark' and what kind of things to expect each type of mark would most likely be carrying. Whether to go for a pouch of coin or lift the bracelet of a delicate wrist or an expensive necklace from around a neck. Common places people kept their money and how to best get his fingers into it.

It was made clear that he was learning from a professional from the very beginning.

Each time a topic was covered there was a practical 'test' of sorts. Meaning they basically went back out and Alessandro got to point out whatever was just covered. From which people could be robbed blind to the ones to avoid. What visible things that could be stolen and what were either too difficult to make it worth while or simply to recognizable. Then they would return to the room for another lesson.

Later came the hard part. Where La Volpe gave him a list of items and his job was to find out who had what and to get it off the person without being detected. He was told to use 'any method he wanted' and that he could strike 'whenever and wherever' he wished.

He knew the general tactics. Distract, bump and go, or grab and run. Blend into the crowd, avoid too much eye contact...

Alessandro looked at his teacher pleadingly.

"Don't worry so much, there aren't many guards until later and they're already drunk anyway." La Volpe said with a shrug.

He had already practiced with the boy using himself as the 'mark'.

True Alessandro hadn't managed to lift anything from him but he was a fast leaner. Against a lesser thief he would have had more luck, but La Volpe was far from a lesser thief.

With a dramatic sigh Alessandro walked towards his doom. He decided to do the easy ones first.

He spotted the man with the leather bracelet easily enough sitting down to a game of cards. Alessandro walked up to join the game and the man stood up to introduce himself despite having just seen each other not long ago. The man, he realized, was playing this game to. While they shook hands Alessandro discretely undid the belt like clasp on the bracelet by holding the end between two fingers and gently pulling it loose while his other finger held just past the clasp kept the bracelet secured against the mark's wrist. He made sure to reach for the bottle of wine to fill his glass with the other hand as they disengaged. For a brief moment everyone's attention was either focused on the cards being dealt or the wine bottle he was reaching for and he took his chance. He let go of the fingers securing the bracelet to the mark's wrist, a quick flip and the bracelet was in his hand. When he reached back for his chair he discreetly dropped the prize in his coat pocket.

He nervously focused on the cards in front of him and took a sip of wine. It wasn't a bad hand at all and he won that round. When the round was finished his mark got up, walked around the table and grabbed his shoulder. For a moment he thought he was caught.

"You play the game well," the man complimented.

Anyone else probably thought he was talking about Alessandro's monetary gain but looking up at the man's eyes, he knew the words had a double meaning.

He glanced at La Volpe and played two more rounds before begging off claiming he wanted to actually keep his winnings.

He stalked his next mark.

An injured mercenary with a knife sheathed on his belt.

He observed how tight the space was between tables and the servers having to squeeze by. He thought he could take out two birds with one stone.

He adopted a slight weave as though he was mildly intoxicated when he was truly stone sober.

He made to fit between the chairs at the same time as a server rushed past and the both crashed to the ground. Alessandro but a hand out like he was trying to catch his balance and lifted the knife, sheathe and all, and sticking it in his boot as he made to lever himself off the ground. It generated the concerned chaos that he was looking for and covered his tracks nicely. He also helped the server lady he had knocked over, apologizing profusely which was honest enough. What wasn't so honest is when he put an arm around her waist to help her rise he also lifted her purse. He helped clean up the mess he had made and they went their separate ways.

Just had to make it back to La Volpe and he was done.

But he couldn't just go back or it would seem to suspicious, at least to Alessandro anyway. He felt like everyone was staring at him and that he had a big sign on his back saying 'I'm a thief'. He knew it was just nerves, that nobody was paying any attention to him other then the passing remark about how clumsy he was.

He grabbed some food, he had had enough to drink tonight, and brought it over to the fox sitting smirking in a corner.

He set the food down and in the pretext of doing up the laces of his boot he slipped the blade into his sleeve. Sitting down he passed the objects to the their lord for approval. The bracelet had been a thief himself, obviously working for La Volpe or he wouldn't be here as thieves tended to be territorial from what he knew of them.

La Volpe complimented him and then proceeded to point out all the less obvious ways and mistakes he had made.

Alessandro was dead tired by the time he stepped outside. With the windows covered inside he hadn't realized it had grown dark out and was in fact very late now.

La Volpe had assured him he would return the objects to their rightful owners and that he should 'stop by again soon'. He took that to mean he'd won the man's approval, at least for now. Or perhaps it was just a case of keeping your friends close and your potential enemies closer.

He walked home quietly and unbothered. Alessandro's last thoughts before falling into bed were that he hadn't seen the assassin but had still managed to learn something useful.


	4. Chapter 4

Just a shout out to my reviewers scarletflamedance and SkittleBunny117 for your awesome inspiring reviews.

Alessandro was walking around the streets trying to take his mind off recent developments. He was becoming more and more certain that the guards were not for him. What he needed was a distraction.

He was turning a corner when he heard crying. It sounded like a woman… it really was none of his business, there were lots of reasons a woman might cry… but he couldn't in good conscience just walk away without seeing if there was anything he could do.

Alessandro turned the corner and saw the woman, a courtesan by her dress. As he got closer he noticed that everyone else went out of her way to avoid her.

He approached slowly, letting his footsteps announce his presence. The woman heard him and turned fearfully but determined to look at him. Alessandro slowly crouched down in front of the woman, being certain to keep enough distance between them so as not to frighten her further.

He really didn't know how to talk to woman yet.

How hard could it be anyway, it wasn't as though he was trying to seduce her or anything. He just wanted to help… how hard could it be anyway...

"Wh- what happened to upset you, madonna?" When in doubt, be polite. He realized he was staring and he averted his gaze with a blush. Most of the woman he knew were, uh, more… modestly covered. He glanced back at her, trying not to stare so as not to seem rude… or anything else.

She gave him a wavering smile but a smile none the less.

"My loyalty to the family of a very good friend has left me in a precarious situation. Rodrigo is trading favours with his foreign ambassadors. He wishes to gain information that would lead him to my friend and his likely death. I have little choice but to meet with one of these ambassadors. He will demand my help and I will provide none." The courtesan said with steel in her voice at her last proclamation.

"He may respond with violence and I fear for my safety."

Alessandro bit his lip, a nervous habit of his. He really couldn't leave her now. Nobody else would help.

"I will follow you," he decided at last. "If he attempts to harm you…" he hesitated, "it will be the last thing he attempts to do." He said nervously.

The courtesan seemed reassured and he was glad someone was confident.

She smiled and he crouched there stunned for a moment. "Thank you, signore…?" She trailed off, hand trailing from his shoulder across his chest suggestively.

"A-Alessandro," he managed to stutter out.

"Protector of mankind, " the courtesan said, "how very fitting…"

Alessandro managed to almost trip over his own feet as he stood back up. Why did his body chose to be clumsy now of all times? He at least remembered to offer the lady a hand up. Which she took and held it perhaps a bit longer then was necessary causing him to blush and the courtesan to smile again.

The courtesan walked away, brushing her hair over her shoulder and swinging her… no. He was going to focus on keeping her safe, which meant his attention should not be where it was no matter how much it… distracted… him.

As he tailed the courtesan to her meeting he spotted some thieves on a rooftop. With a whistle he got their attention and waved them down.

They came quite eagerly, although jingling his coin pouch might have helped.

"I may need a distraction, and I happen to have some spare coin right now if your interested?" He kept one eye on the thieves and another on the courtesan in front of him.

"Sounds fair enough," the group's apparent leader said as they fell into step around him.

Alessandro was feeling a bit more comfortable now that he had somewhat of a plan.

"Here," the thief said passing him a dagger. It wasn't the best quality but it was still serviceable. "Whatever you have planned, a dagger is more subtle then that," he said indicating the sword strapped to his waist. He had been tapping the hilt in anticipation.

Maybe he should take out a sign that said 'up to no good, shhhh.'

Alessandro almost lost sight of her a few times and had to jog to keep up.

He saw her stop and there was a pair of guards lounging around.

It didn't take much to spot the ambassador with his fancy clothes either.

Alessandro turned to figure out this new problem.

The place they were meeting was round with only one entrance. An entrance he couldn't use because he would be seen to easily.

He noticed a group of patrolling guards coming around the corner and he didn't want to be spotted.

The thief who had spoken earlier to accept the job pointed at the battered wall of the structure. "You can climb up that easily, even if you don't know how to climb, and it's not to far down on the other side."

Leave it to a thief to be so observant, and Alessandro hadn't exactly been subtle he supposed.

"Thank you," he said eying up the wall nervously. He had climbed trees when he was a boy but a wall? Well he had wanted a less obvious way in and he got one.

"Distract the guards," he whispered handing them a hundred florins. It was all he had on him at the moment.

As soon as the guards had run in pursuit of the thieves he started to climb. It wasn't as hard as he had feared as there were plenty of handholds. From up top he could see the ambassador's back and he hesitated trying to find a way down.

He heard the woman cry out and decided it wasn't that far after all as he lowered himself as far as he could and dropped down. He stumbled and fell on his butt, but was quickly up again.

"Alessandro! Aiytatemi!" She screamed panicked.

Alessandro reacted instinctively, rushing behind the ambassador and sinking the dagger in the man's throat. He froze for a moment before rushing himself and the courtesan out and into an alley.

He was surprised the civilians would hadn't noticed anything. He was, hopefully, clear.

"Are you alright?" Alessandro asked, his hands trembling from the rush of adrenaline.

"Grazie, I am glad my faith was not misplaced." She said quietly.

He slid the dagger through his belt and was fiddling with his tunic in an attempt to hide the damn thing. He looked up to see the courtesan still there.

She was grinning again as he was caught staring once more. Before he knew what she had planned he found her lips against his in a kiss that was anything but chaste. It ended before his body could figure out how to react and he was left standing there stunned. He would laugh at himself if he could see the stupid grin on his face and the slightly glazed look in his eyes.

With that cheerful thought he stopped off at the bank to pick up some money. He could afford to buy himself a drink and if he couldn't afford it he would buy himself a drink anyway.

He travelled to La Volpe Addormentata, which was quickly becoming his favourite place in Roma. There were other places he could have gone that were closer but he didn't even consider it.

He walked through the door to the familiar sounds of loud patrons, gambling, and conversation. He spotted his friends, and when did he start thinking of the assassin and thief lord as his friends… and made straight for them.

He really should have taken time to check his appearance in a mirror first.

Alessandro say down beside Ezio and ordered drinks for the three of them. Why the hell not, he was in a good mood. He was still alive, among real friends, and had just been kissed by a beautiful lady even if she was a courtesan it didn't change that she was pretty.

•_•

Ezio took in their friend's appearance. He had blood along one shoulder that didn't appear to be his and a dagger he hadn't had before tucked discreetly in his belt. He was covered in dust as though he had been climbing and the scrapes along his palms supported that idea. Yet he was acting like a man who'd just had a good lay. Judging by the wide grin and overly cheerful attitude that just might be the case.

And was he humming? The man couldn't be drunk yet but he sure was acting like it.

"All right, what's the story?" Ezio finally asked.

•_•

Alessandro told his friend's what had happened. Following the courtesan, the ambassador, the thieves he had hired, climbing the damn wall… he glossed over what had happened to the ambassador not wanting to really think about it or ruin his good mood.

"A kiss? That's all it takes to get you in such a good mood? Even if it was your first." Ezio teased him.

Did he say that? He didn't remember saying that it had been his first but he supposed his tongue was a little looser then it normally was right now.

"At least I didn't have to pay for it!" He said with a pointed look at the assassin.

Ezio gave him a wounded look and La Volpe was laughing so hard that he was leaning on the assassin to avoid falling over.

"I don't have to pay for it," Ezio pouted.

"I doubt you've ever had sex if that's how you react to a kiss!" He exclaimed a little loudly sending the fox back into laughter when Alessandro almost choked on his drink.

"Ha, I was right wasn't I?"

Another round was ordered up by La Volpe.

"We have got to take you to see some woman sometime." The assassin whispered loudly.

Alessandro groaned, he should have known that Ezio would tease him.

But he was happy all the same among friends, drinking, teasing each other. Just good company overall.

Perhaps he had found somewhere to belong after all, even if it wasn't where he had expected.

Courtesan Assignment was an actual one from the game (credit to ubisoft) except since Alessandro doesn't have eagle vision he followed the woman instead of finding the ambassador and following him.


	5. Chapter 5

would like to thank my reviews once more. Your encouragement is what keeps me writing so much. Thanx to pyro for your wonderful review last chapter.

•••••••••••••

Alessandro made his way to La Volpe's inn dragging his feet. He really didn't want to ask but he had to know. After the doctor had cleared him for duty again he had been transferred to serve under another captain. This one was better then the rest, in that he actually made an attempt to do his job properly and protect the people. But the men who served under him were of the usual lot. Most of them were not happy that they couldn't do as they pleased.

The captain had recently met an untimely death and the new captain quite frankly scared him to death.

Alessandro sat down between the two, head bowed and with every look of a defeated man. La Volpe and Ezio cut off their light hearted conversation, knowing something was terribly wrong.

"What happened amico?" Ezio asked softly.

"The captain for Centro District, did you or your kill him?" He asked heavy hearted and fearing what he might hear. Ezio had once cautioned against asking questions he might not like the answers to and he was coming to understand what he meant.

"No," Ezio replied with a frown. "I hadn't even realized the captain had changed though it would explain much." He said softly.

"So the rumours are true after all." Alessandro said quietly.

"Rumours? I'm afraid you lost us."

"There was talk about killing the old captain, I told him about the men but he told me not to worry. That he would take care of it." Alessandro said bitterly. "Well it looks like someone took care of it."

Ezio placed an arm around the young guard's shoulder, the only comfort he could really give.

"Tell us about this new captain." La Volpe asked quietly. He could see it was a painful subject and was trying to be tactful.

Alessandro visibly shuddered. His mind shutting itself off to protect itself.

"Amico?" Ezio questioned. "Alessandro?" When he got no response. That worried him more. It hadn't even been two weeks since they had last seen him so how had he gotten so afraid.

"You are safe here. Whoever this bastardo is, he can't hurt in La Volpe's own building." Ezio tried to reassure.

"I'd love to see him try," the fox said with a tone that promised death to whoever took him up on that.

"He's a monster. It's that simple." Alessandro said quietly.

"He encourages the guards cruelty. When one of the newer guards tried to report him, he came back to find his family dead." Alessandro said, unaware of the old wound he had just poked at in Ezio.

La Volpe sent his friend a warning glare. An outburst now might mean the end of any information. "Go on," La Volpe encouraged.

"One of the others tried to run. He was shot dead, captain claimed it was because he 'had committed an act of treason by deserting his post'. Another man tried to escape under the cover of darkness, he…" Alessandro winced. He could sorta see the warped logic in shooting the man who had run. Even if he didn't agree with it but that kind of cruelty…

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Ezio said getting the idea already of what had been going on.

"Tell me," La Volpe said quietly, "are you here with permission or…"

"I didn't run if that's what your asking, I wouldn't have made it this far if I had. I was charged to deliver some papers. Captain things because I've been keeping my head down that I'm too cowed to say anything to anyone. So he's letting me out this once." Alessandro explained. "If he didn't pass on the reports then someone would investigate..."

"But since he's not letting anyone leave and is using families as leverage, nobody inside will say anything." Ezio summarized.

"And so long as reports go out then nobody will have cause to find out what's actually happening." La Volpe added.

"I made a spare key for the servants entrance." Alessandro said quietly, sliding a larger key over.

•_•

Ezio fingered the key on the table, making his decision.

"Deliver the reports as normal. We will come tonight, I'm sorry but we can't move any earlier." Ezio said softly. He was well aware of the risk the man was taking. He must have been desperate, to have gambled with such high stakes. He wasn't an assassin, was really barely old enough to be called a man.

"We will come tonight, no matter what." Ezio promised, the image of his family hanging still clear in his mind even after all these years.

He heard Alessandro take a deep breath. Trying no doubt to summon some courage.

•_•

"It's a good thing that I was allowed to borrow a horse. I'm going to have to make up for lost time." Alessandro said getting up.

•_•

"We would have lent you one anyway," La Volpe said quietly. Somehow the young guard had found himself on the very small list of friends that the fox had.

TIME SKIP

Alessandro lead the horse he was using to the stables. The beasts that the common guards had access to weren't the best quality to begin with and in an effort to make up for lost time he had pushed too hard apparently.

His breath caught when he realized that the sympathizing looks were directed at him. Something was wrong and he had a half a mind to get on the lame horse anyway and make a break for it. But he had family, and what if the mad captain went after them? He probably wouldn't make it anyway. Besides he had a valid excuse, his horse was lame, they could check for themselves if they wanted.

Alessandro put the horse back in the stables, informing the stablehand about the lameness and went to report to the captain. He walked at a decent pace knowing he would be in more trouble the longer he took. Besides, the captain knew he was here because someone would have been watching for his return.

He stood at attention in front of the captain. Slowly the captain stood up from his desk. The mad captain had been around long enough for Alessandro to know this was a bad sign.

"Care to explain what took you so long?" He asked in a deceptively calm tone.

"The horse I was riding went lame, sir." Alessandro said working to keep his voice level.

"Perhaps that is because you were making up for lost time," the captain said with a bite to his voice.

All Alessandro could think of was that whatever happened he had to make it until nightfall. Ezio had promised. But whatever the captain knew it didn't know Alessandro was not about to give anything away just in case.

"Sir?" When in doubt be polite.

"You're not as smart as you think you are. You were spotted entering La Volpe Addormentata." The captain explained.

Alessandro gulped, fear flashing on his face for a moment. He knew how much the captain hated drinking on duty. If he thought...

And he was spotted? The captain had spies on him? Or was it all the men? Or maybe the men were spying on each other in an attempt to avoid punishment themselves?

"But you look stone cold sober so you obviously didn't go to drink." The captain said with a hint of glee.

Oh god, he was enjoying this, Alessandro realized.

"Was there perhaps another reason for your visit?" The mad captain asked clearly already having formed an opinion. Whatever Alessandro said, true or not, would mean nothing at this point. He just had to survive until nightfall.

"Perhaps to visit someone?" The captain continued to question as Alessandro stood silently praying to a god he didn't even believe in.

"Did you go to meet with one of the captain commanders about the treatment of my men? I know you disagree with my… methods." The captain asked, with less then subtle implications going unsaid.

"No sir," Alessandro said, if the captain thought that he would be executed. There would be no saving him and nightfall would cease to make any difference.

"Or perhaps it wasn't one of the captain commanders after all." The captain stated with now open glee. "Perhaps you though that someone else could do a better job? Perhaps you sought to have me removed?"

Alessandro paled, things were not looking good and the guard outside the door had taken his sword and dagger.

"I don't know how you came to be in contact with the assassins but I will find out." The captain said.

"Or do you think that the man who made that spare key of yours wouldn't talk?" The captain said enjoying the look of despair.

"Sooner or later, you will talk too but for now we still have your punishment to deal with." Captain Crazy, as Alessandro was now calling him in the safety of his mind, continued.

"Let's see, tardiness, damage to guard property… after all it was your actions which lead to a horse being lame, disrespecting a superior officer for thinking I wouldn't know what you were up to.

"Treachery, conspiring to commit mutiny…"

Alessandro winced, either of those last two could easily see him hung.

"Insubordination and your uniform is ripped so that's another one to add to the list." The captain finished with a sadistic smile while a pair of guards entered and restrained Alessandro.

Alessandro didn't bother to fight, it would just mean a beating anyway and he had to make it until nightfall. So he remained passive, letting them all believe he had given up completely.

•••••••••••••

Will update later tonight as well to finish the rest of this scene.


	6. Chapter 6

Warning: blood (gore), violence, physical and psychological abuse, abuse of power... Etc.

Deliberately dark chapter.

Put it this way, I researched the actual punishments for the assumed 'crimes' and chose the more extreme of them. I couldn't find much on Italy specifically, probably because it was one of the first countries to get rid of capital punishment. But I looked at the ones for the same time period that were considered standard practice.

Thanks some more to my wonderful reviewers pyro, guest, and scarletflamedance.

•••••••••••••

Alessandro raised his head to stare at the moon rising as best he could. He had previously been blissfully unaware how much pain the human body could take and still retain consciousness.

He had made it until nightfall at least.

At first he thought that his trust was misplaced as the night went on and nothing seemed to happen, but then he noticed the small things. From here he should be able to see the silhouettes of at least two guards at all times do their patrol around the roofs. But in the last hour he only saw one and he hadn't seen him again since he disappeared around the corner of an adjacent roof.

The night was entirely silent. There weren't any of the usual calls of the guards on patrol and even the animals had gone quiet.

The assassin was here already, Alessandro was certain now.

He heard it only because he had been listening for it. The quiet gasp and squeak of the wood as someone was killed and laid down so their body wouldn't make to much noise. He could hear footsteps behind him and even knowing who it must be, he couldn't help the involuntary cringe.

His body had learned that someone coming up behind him meant pain.

The footsteps stopped, there were two sets he realized belatedly as his body shook from both exposure and pain.

The footsteps moved to the side, making a wide circle around him for which he was grateful. He knew logically that these two would never hurt him but recent events had led him to be wary of everyone and every small noise they made. Alessandro canted his head as best he could to see them. He had to know it was really them.

His one good eye saw the bright white of the assassin's robes and the rust coloured robes of a certain fox. He knew he looked horrible, especially now that his eye had swollen shut. Although that wasn't the worst of it.

He was suddenly glad for the cover of darkness. It made it impossible to tell the full extent of his injuries.

"Cut him down." Ezio said, and Alessandro realized he had never actually seen him angry. But he certainly was now.

A stranger, also in assassin robes came up on his blind spot and Alessandro flinched back instinctually. "Peace, I mean you no harm." The unfamiliar voice whispered.

The knife in his hand made short work of the ropes that bound his hand to the post above his head. Alessandro felt his body begin to fall, unable to support even his weight anymore. Arms helped control his fall so that he made no noise and was in less pain then if they had simply caught him.

Alessandro lay on his stomach, the bruises there making lying down uncomfortable but it was better then the alternative.

•_•

"Someone get a torch," Ezio commanded softly.

He wasn't blind, he could see that the young guard was in a great deal of pain and he didn't blame him for the quiet crying he could just barely hear. Whether it was pain or relief that his torture was over, for that's the only word Ezio had to describe what he could see, or a combination of both.

He wanted to offer comfort but the only part of the man's body that didn't appear injured was his head. Ezio ran his hands through his friend's hair in an attempt to reassure.

He didn't want to think about it to much. He knew some people never recovered mentally even if they did physically. He didn't want to believe that the man he had teased about having just kissed a girl a few weeks ago might not make it through the night.

If that were the case it might be less cruel to finish him now then to let him suffer in agony for the next few hours, or even days, before succumbing to his wounds.

But Ezio couldn't bring himself to do it, at least not without a professional opinion and consent. Even then, he might not be able to.

The crude wooden stage, for that was what it was essentially, was soaked in blood. His friend's blood, and he could scarce believe the boy was still conscious.

Ezio had to put a hand on Alessandro's shoulder when the boy tried to get up after a few minutes. The action sent his body collapsing to the ground with a cry.

"You shouldn't move," Ezio said quietly.

"My… family…" Alessandro managed to gasp out.

Ezio stiffened, he knew too well what it was like to lose those closest to you. "Where?" He asked.

"Beside, tailors." He heard Alessandro say. It was obviously costing him a lot to speak.

Ezio signalled two of the recruits who had been standing keeping guard, to check it out.

Just as they left a recruit came back with a set of torches. "Apologies, there was a guard patrol we overlooked." The recruit said by way of explanation.

In the light, everything seemed worse somehow. Lines of blood criss-crossed the man's back and the back of his thighs to form a morbid pattern. He wasn't wearing a shirt which was a relief, they wouldn't have to pry cloth out of painful wounds at least. But his pants were little more then shreds that barely covered him. Ezio could see at a glance that one shoulder was obviously dislocated and what wasn't covered in blood was bruised.

He only hoped that nothing inside was damaged. If so, there was nothing they could do but ease his passing.

"There's no way he's fit to ride out of here, I'd be surprised if he can stand." A recruit said. "I'll find a horse and cart, and we should get something to keep him warm."

"It's not that cold out and placing anything over him will hurt." Ezio said.

"But the pain could be a shock to his body, it could shut down." The recruit argued. She had spent some time with the doctors and had learned a little in the process.

"La Volpe?" Ezio asked, only to find the sneaky thief gone. "Damn it." He cursed at the same time he heard a scream of pain.

•_•

"Go," Alessandro said, as much as he wanted Ezio to stay he understood duty.

There was no knowing who that scream belonged to.

•_•

Ezio gave his friend a long look, he wanted to stay but he knew what he had to do. Especially since La Volpe was off on his own somewhere.

Thinking quickly he took off his cape and folded it into a sort of quick pillow before sliding it under his friend's head. At least his head wouldn't be pressed against the wooden planks soaked with his own blood anymore. The cape was too small to cover him properly with anyway.

As he made his way to the source of the commotion he could here the sounds of La Volpe cursing.

Ezio rounded the bend to see La Volpe slicing the captain to ribbons. Every time the captain would try to strike the fox down La Volpe would dodge and slice at the captain's back in familiar pattern.

Ezio had never actually witnessed the fox's temper before. La Volpe seldom even raised his voice. He would either avoid you or kill you if he thought you had betrayed him. He knew all of that from the experience between him and Machiavelli.

"Pezzo di merda! Tu non morirai facilmente!" La Volpe hissed at the captain of the guards.

Ezio reached for a throwing knife. As much as part of him wanted to join in, and that part sickened him, he knew better now. So intent was La Volpe on the target of his wrath that he had failed to even notice Ezio's approach.

With a well practiced movement, the captain fell to the ground. Dead, with a knife sticking out of his chest.

La Volpe turned and saw him, violet eyes narrowed in a glare.

"You show mercy?!" The fox hissed incredulously.

"That is enough, show some respect." Ezio chastised, feeling odd to be echoing the words of his late Uncle. Especially since La Volpe was so much older then him.

"Respect?" The fox growled, "and what respect did he show to Alessandro, to a boy under his own command."

"He showed none. No respect, no honour. Do not let yourself become him." Ezio echoed the words of a wise man now dead.

Not that it stopped him from wanting to give the man's corpse a good kick in passing anyway.

He couldn't bring himself to say the words he had so often said to his targets in their final moments. Not this time, not when it struck so close to his own heart.

He cared about the boy. At first, it was the potential he could see and wanted to instinctively bring out. Then it was because he found the boy to be an eager student, quick and intelligent. And lastly because somewhere between now and when they had met they had become friends.

And now Alessandro might not survive the night.

The pair turned and ran back to where they had left their friend. They found two carts, one pulled beside the wooden platform and the other just out of its view. Ezio stopped to question the recruit who was obviously waiting to give a report.

"The boy's father is over there." He indicated the direction of the cart just out of sight. "Apparently he had his own cart for business. The captain made them, and the rest of the men, watch while he..." Eyes darted to the stage and Ezio understood. "It was too much for his mother, her heart gave out. She had some condition, she shouldn't have become overtly stressed or excited. I ordered a second cart because I didn't think that the father should see his son in such a state… especially after his wife just died. Alessandro, doesn't know yet. It might be best not to tell him for now, he might give up if he knew." The novice finished his report.

"Thank you," he said tiredly. "Let's head back to Tiber Island." Ezio ordered as he turned away. The recruit had already ran off to organize things to be ready.

Ezio turned back to his friend, measuring the distance between him and the covered carriage they had been lucky to find. It was only a few feet, but for Alessandro it might have been miles. There wasn't anything for it though, they couldn't move it any closer so they would have to move him.

Ezio kneeled down to explain what would happen and to update Alessandro on the state of his family, what was left of it anyway. As he had hoped, the death only made him more determined then ever. Soon, he knew, Alessandro would start asking difficult question of Ezio and himself.

Ezio helped the man to his and knees. He knew that Alessandro would not be able to stand and it would be agony to even be touched right now. So inch by inch Ezio watched the man crawl, which was the best he could manage, using words to encourage him forward until he finally collapsed in the carriage itself.

La Volpe and Ezio climbed in after him, letting the recruited assassins take care of their safety. It was slow going as they couldn't move the horses past a walk or it would jostle those inside.

•_•

Alessandro closed his eyes when he was finally able to crawl into the carriage. His body was in so much pain he just wanted it to end. To give up and escape this hell his life had become. But he couldn't do it, he couldn't leave his father to bury his wife and child. Just as he couldn't leave Ezio and La Volpe either. Not without at least trying to heal, not without some attempt at moving forward.

During the ride he could feel himself drifting in and out of consciousness. He was afraid that one of these times he would lose consciousness and not regain it again. He tried to pay attention to what Ezio was saying, the reassuring sentences and words of encouragement but each time he drifted off it was harder to come back.

He couldn't see anything in the darkness and all he could feel was the wood beneath his body and the numerous injuries. In the darkness he tried to reach out and grasp something to hold on to in a physical sense.

A calloused hand slipped into his. Whether it was Ezio's or La Volpe's he couldn't say but it gave him what he needed either way.

"Almost there," Ezio said.

•_•

By the time they arrived at the hideout the doctor was already waiting for them. Alessandro was barely conscious but still alive. Under the doctors direction, they managed to get a sheet underneath him so they could carry him out with as little pain or damage possible.

What had looked bad under the light of a few torches looked much worse now. Night had broken and the dawn's light revealed the full extent of the boy's injuries.

They began cleaning up the blood from the stripes across his back. Those would scar, Ezio knew, but they weren't deep despite their quantity. Whoever had wielded the whip had done so reluctantly or they'd be seeing bone.

The doctor wrapped his back and legs up in bright white bandages. The bird masked man studied the shoulder with a critical gaze.

As Ezio had suspected, it was dislocated as was the wrist. It would be easier to fix if the man could manage to sit up and the less painful, the doctor stated quietly.

Ezio braced Alessandro against his less injured side. He was the only one here who knew of Alessandro's fear of doctors and the boy was obviously too badly hurt to even put up a token resistance.

Ezio could feel Alessandro's body shaking beside him. The boy was watching the doctor's every move out of his one good eye and Ezio knew the anticipation wasn't doing him any good.

"Look at me," Ezio said using the tone of voice he usually reserved for giving orders.

It got the desired reaction as Alessandro's head whipped around to focus on the assassin.

"I won't insult your intelligence by saying that it won't hurt, we both know that's a lie. But I can say that the worst will be over quickly and the pain will dull down some." Ezio said as gently as possible.

Alessandro nodded his head and with a quick glance at the doctor, deliberately looked away and shut his eyes.

Ezio hadn't lied. The pain was there but it was brief before it faded under everything else.

"Here," La Volpe passed him some of the strongest alcohol he owned. Alessandro was young, it should be enough to knock the kid out for the night at least.

Alessandro didn't even ask questions, just downed it in one with a grimace. Alessandro managed to fall asleep, leaning up against La Volpe as the doctor left Ezio with some last instructions.

•_•

"If he managed to survive this long, chances are that he will pull through unless he catches a fever." The doctor said, as close to encouraging as he could get. "There's no charge, nobody should have to go through that." He added quietly.

What he didn't add was that he knew now what this man had done to wind up in front of him the first time. At the time he was annoyed that he would have to spend valuable supplies on a guard of all people. The woman Alessandro had saved had shown him how wrong he had been when she had arrived accompanied by one of the other assassin recruits.

He couldn't take back his insensitive actions of the past but he could control himself better in the future.

And perhaps be less judgmental.

For what it was worth, he hoped the boy made it.

•••••••••••••

Meant to get this out earlier but it was difficult to both write and research.

Did you know that someone suspected of desertion in the military could recieve up to 40 lashes right up until the 19th century? And that the second offence they could be branded with the letter D for deserting and still receive lashes? Or that up until the 20th century most doctors were bot that well thought of.


	7. Chapter 7

"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." -Jimmy Dean

Thank you to my wonderful reviewers last chapter, Pyro and guest.

Also pyro, those were some of the more pleasant 'treatments' available during the time. Cauterizing was still popular and even when stitches were used they were often made out of things like hemp or cotton (which was alright I suppose) or more commonly out of animal materials (such as hair, tendons, arteries, muscle strips, nerves, silk, or catgut) all of which were never really sterilized because they had no concept of germs or bacteria yet. Because tying your gaping stab wound with thread made of some animal's hair is so appealing. And those were the doctors considered legit, imagine the backstreet kind that catered more to the poorer people...

Alessandro slowly opened his eyes. He had a moment of panic when he didn't immediately recognize the room he was in. Rolling onto his side with a quiet hiss of pain he saw the figure of Ezio sitting stretched out and very much asleep in a chair beside the bed.

How long had he been there?

Where was here anyway?

Rolling back onto his stomach he tried to get comfortable. He knew his injuries were severe. Though they didn't feel as badly as they had, for which he was thankful. It took him a moment to realize he could see out of both eyes again, the swelling have gone down although it still remained tender.

He wanted to pull the blanket up, he was cold. But his range of motion was limited by pain so he gave up.

Startling an assassin awake didn't seem a good idea either. He would wake up on his own sooner or later and from the looks of it Ezio could use the extra sleep.

Sleep was something Alessandro should probably try to get himself but no matter how he moved it just caused more pain.

Rolling over painfully once more his eyes met the concerned eyes of the assassin.

"You should try to stay still as best you can." Ezio said softly.

"How long was I out of it?" Alessandro asked in return.

"You took fever for a few days and you've been drifting in and out of consciousness for about two weeks after that." Ezio said pulling the blankets back up around the injured man. "So about three weeks abed in total, maybe a bit longer." He briefed his friend.

"You're father set up business again, he's been worried." Ezio changed topics, hoping to keep him distracted Alessandro knew. "He's a good man."

"And my…"

"Your mother was buried nearby." Ezio answered his unspoken question.

•_•

Ezio knew these were the easy questions to answer, the ones with clean, simple answers.

"I can't go back, can I?" Alessandro stated sadly.

"No, you can't." Ezio answered. While the guards had not been all that he knew his friend had hoped for, they had been something to him. Ezio was wiser then he had been at Alessandro's age. He knew something of what the young man was actually searching for. But for once, he couldn't make that offer himself. Alessandro would have to ask instead. When he was ready.

Alessandro still hadn't finished asking the hard questions, and Ezio was determined not to rush him.

•_•

"I don't know what to do." Alessandro said quietly, "I don't know where to go now. Or how to start again." He admitted.

"I once asked you 'why?'." He said, remembering that day that seemed ages ago now. "I think I know the answer now." Alessandro thought out loud. "Some people just can't be stopped any other way can they? Kill one man, to save many more innocent lives." How naive he had been when he first asked that question. Would he have been able to accept the answer had they not been interrupted before Ezio had been able to answer? Or would he have rejected it and missed out on several great friendships? He was certain his reaction would of been different then now, with what he had experienced. But how different?

He knew, perhaps, what he wanted and wished that Ezio would just offer so he could give a simple answer to a complex situation. Maybe he would when he was healed and more or less in one piece? Or maybe that wasn't how it worked, perhaps he should just ask. What was stopping him? The worst that Ezio would do is to say is no. He already knew about the assassins.

He almost missed what Ezio said next. He was almost certain the assassin hadn't meant to speak out loud anyway.

"For in much wisdom, is much grief, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow." Ezio spoke quietly, sounding like he was quoting something or someone.

The words had a depth to Alessandro that he would previously have missed but now could not help but notice. He repeated then in his mind, committing them to memory.

How durable the human mind was, Alessandro mused. That despite all the suffering in the world, people could still find joy, happiness, fulfillment. That even the worst of travesties could remake someone stronger, if they didn't break first. Or maybe there had to be a break for things to change...

His musing was cut off by a quiet knock on the door which made both of them jump. For they had both been lost in their own minds.

La Volpe entered the room without waiting for a reply.

The fox did a double take when he realized Alessandro was awake and actually coherent for a change. It made him glad, for once, about the stubbornness of the Auditore's.

For the first time in what seemed like a long time, the fox grinned mischievously. A weight was off his shoulders that had been growing heavier as days had passed with no change.

La Volpe didn't actually say anything. Only observed the young man on the bed with a critical eye before turning around and exiting as suddenly as he had appeared.

Alessandro could see the shocked look on one of the assassin's faces as La Volpe passed by whistling some odd tune.

Ezio chuckled at the confused look on the bedridden man's face.

"Our dear fox has not bee in the best of moods lately. His temper was getting the best of him." Ezio said, knowing it was grief and pain, but mostly the uncertainty of the situation, that had caused La Volpe to lash out at those around him.

"Well, I guess he's in a better mood now." Alessandro replied, touched that someone cared so much.

"I suppose if I'm going to keep the old man on his toes I had best hurry up and recover." He said with some new hope.

There was just one more thing for now that he needed an answer to.

"My back?" He knew that it was more then possible to do permanent damage in such situations.

Ezio sighed.

"It will scar, there is nothing to be done about that, but it shouldn't hinder you otherwise." Ezio answered.

Alessandro knew some people were vein enough that such large scars might bother them. But Alessandro chose to look at it in a different way.

"The scars will only serve to remind me that I have been through it, and I am still standing.*" he said.

"That, is a good way of looking at it." The assassin said with some surprise. Ezio hadn't thought of it that way, he would remember that in the future.

"Rest, brother." He thought he heard and felt a hand resting on his shoulder comfortingly.

Alessandro drifted back to sleep, peacefully for the first time in a long while. Reminded once more that he wasn't as alone in life as he sometimes thought.

•••••••••••••

*paraphrased quote. Full quote is "Scars show toughness: that you've been through it and are still standing." -Theo Rossi

Sorry, don't know what's with me and quotes today.

Also, found this quote and for some reason it reminds me of Desmond.

"Our ancestors are totally essential to our every waking moment, though most of us do t even have the faintest idea about their lives, their trials, their hardships or challenges." -Annie Lennox


	8. Chapter 8

If I update Sundays it'll be at night because I have my horseback riding and freerunning/parkour and I can't miss either of those or I'll go insane... And no internet to update with so yeah... Also after almost 10months, I finally have the damned wall run down on the 9.5ft wall I've been practicing on... Which means I can doroof runs now. yay! :) though my hands are now scraped to shit from repeatedly losing my grip on the brick. Brick wall acts remarkably like a cheese grater at times.

I meant to update sat but my horse thought it would be hilarious to throw me into a patch of stinging nettle... It was warm for once, I was in a tank top... Not fun. Also did not exactly put me in a mood for writing.

Anyway, thank you pyro and SkittleBunny117 all for your reviews.

Pyro: yeah, it's sometimes ridiculous just how many guards you have to kill. On one mission in black flag I just got pissed at getting continuously desynchronized trying to be stealthy and getting spotted, that I simply killed every. single. one. of them. I did that on an earlier mission too, but that time was because I found it hilarious how oblivious the guards can be. A few of the Borgia towers in brotherhood I had to slaughter a ridiculous amount of guards and there's a glitch that shows up in revelations where you try to hide in a haystack and there's a never ending stream of guards.

•••••••••••••

Alessandro carefully made his way out of the bed as he had been doing for the last few days. It had seemed to take forever to return to health and he still wasn't back to what he was yet. The weakness in his body frustrated him to no end. However much he tried he never seemed to get very far. Getting up was the worst as his body had been lying still all night and was slow to respond at first.

After weeks of work he was almost there. He could walk and run again. Lifting heavy things was still a problem and probably always would be.

But he could live with that.

After a brief warm up, something he now needed in the mornings, he made his way quietly out of what he thought of as his room.

He still wasn't used to how quiet the assassins moved sometimes. He would think he was alone and then when he turned around there would be someone standing there. At first he had felt afraid, a guard deep within the assassin's stronghold. But somewhere along the line he had stopped thinking of himself as a guard.

He was Alessandro. And he wasn't sure he was happy being just Alessandro.

Being a guard had given him an identity. Even if it had never really fit him very well.

As the fear and wariness of his surroundings wore over during the weeks he found himself curious more then anything else.

Tentatively at first, he started asking the assassins he saw most regularly questions, and most were happy to answer. Some of the answers confused him and others he found himself agreeing with. He also learned that while each was expected to learn and do their part, nobody was forced to do something that went against their will. That's not to say that they were always comfortable with what they were asked to do. Ezio certainly was good at pushing boundaries.

In the weeks he had been here he had seen recruits that were obviously new. Some barely ale to tell which part of the blade to stick someone with. Hint, it's the pointy end… he thought amused.

He would watch them go from being hesitant to commit to a strike or uncertain of the proper defense to being able to dodge and weave among the dancing blades without realizing how effortless it had become.

Alessandro was now a frequent spectator when it came to the friendly spars. Sometimes he would watch them and wonder if he could do better or if he could manage a certain move with as much ease.

Today was different though. He felt better then he had in a long time. Alessandro was ready to try something he had been working himself up to for a while now.

Alessandro sat down in his regular place to watch the assassins in training get ready for their daily sparring. It was easier to sit as he still felt sore some days and e didn't want to spend any more time on recovering then he had to.

He watched carefully, trying to find the weaknesses he knew were there, had to be there.

It was hand to hand combat for the moment.

The very same as when he and Ezio had their first match.

A match that he had lost, a treacherous part of Alessandro's brain reminded him.

These are recruits, not Ezio, Alessandro reminded himself.

The current spar was running down to an end. Both recruits had been nearly equally matched and so the fight had dragged on longer then normal.

As the fight came to a close, Ezio stepped in. He was hard in his critique, pointing out every tiny mistake from the footwork to the choice of moves. But Ezio balanced it with praise, reminding them how much they were improving while keeping them working hard. Most of the master assassin's praise came in the form of observations. His actual compliments were few but genuine and they made the group push themselves harder to hear more.

Alessandro could understand why he was so quick to point out mistakes when he saw them. A mistake here could easily become a habit that could quite possibly get them killed in real combat.

He tried not to think to hard on the opponents that they would likely be fighting.

It wouldn't just be Templars that were cut down.

Ezio dismissed the two back to the group and made his usual offer to him. Something Alessandro had been waiting for since the spars had started.

"Would you like to try, Alessandro?" Ezio said.

The offers had begun once he had been able to move around normally again, without the pain that had plagued him.

It was a subtle encouragement and he knew that he could use it.

Despite having turned down the offer every time previously, Ezio still made it each day anyway.

Alessandro stood up slightly hesitantly. "Sure," he said trying to sound braver then he actually felt.

It had been easier when he was just on the side lines. Now he had everyone's attention on him. The only one that had seen him fight before had been Ezio. So the rest didn't know what to expect from him and Alessandro knew that they would speculate amongst themselves.

The master assassin smiled, apparently glad that he had taken him up on the continuous offer for once.

"Enrico," Ezio called out one of the midlevel recruits. "You're up."

The recruit stepped into the ring confidently. This was a regular occurrence for him, nothing to worry over. He would win or he would lose and either way he would still learn. Alessandro followed more cautious but none the less eager to start.

"Alright," Ezio said giving each a glance to be sure they were ready.

"Begin!"

Alessandro got into his defensive stance that he had used with, and learned from, Ezio. He knew it wasn't the best for attacking so he waited for the other to make a move.

The recruit moved carefully. He wasn't about to underestimate his opponent. Enrico made to feign a grab but Alessandro was not falling for it, although he did move out of the way to avoid giving the other an easy opening.

They circled each other.

Alessandro thought he had noticed something earlier when his opponent had been sparring against someone else, but wanted to see if he was right from this side of the ring as well.

Unconsciously, he mimicked the more aggressive stance Ezio had used against him in their first spar. It never crossed his mind that the sudden shift in stance would telegraph his intentions.

He threw a series of light punches. Aiming less for hitting his opponent and more for making him move around.

And there it was!

Ezio had commented more then once on this particular recruit's footwork. So now while Enrico's footwork had improved greatly, the recruit had developed the bad habit of looking down to make sure his feet were where he wanted them to be.

Now, with a strategy in place and a weakness to exploit, Alessandro backed off to defence again. The pair resuming their circle until they exchanged another flurry of attacks. This time Enrico was the aggressor, trying to back Alessandro into a wall he belatedly realized.

Alessandro was forced to shift tactics, going for a deflect and cutting the recruit's punch to the outside while slipping around his body so their positions were reversed.* Now it was the recruit backed closer to the wall and Alessandro went on the offence, switching punches with kicks, feints and half committed strikes and thus easily pulled with damaging ones. He bid his time, knowing it was on his side.

Neither seemed to be able to land a blow on the other. Alessandro had quickly realized the recruit favoured grappling over other means. He forgot that favoured didn't mean that it was the only method the recruit knew. Something he became painfully reminded of when the recruit threw a sudden punch that, in Alessandro's surprise at the move, had landed squarely against his stomach.

Alessandro doubled over was forced to give ground or be pummelled and he lost the advantage of having put the recruit so close to the wall.

The former guard regrouped, playing defence until the pain subsided. Once more he sought to execute his plan, only this time Alessandro got the reaction he wanted.

The recruit looked down briefly to check his footwork and Alessandro capitalized on it. At first, he had swung for the head as he would in a bar fight… but at the last moment he connected with the shoulder instead. The force from the blow made Enrico turn slight in an attempt to keep footing and Alessandro managed to wrap an arm around the recruit's neck, force him backwards off balance, and a light kick to the back of his knees sent him to the ground.

A brief struggle as Alessandro could sense Enrico trying to throw the him but he failed.

"I yield," the recruit said.

Alessandro immediately backed off and offered a hand to help his sparring partner up. Enrico took the hand with a grin, it had been a good match and both were now slightly tired.

The pair turned to Ezio, knowing he would have something to say as always. Enrico curious and Alessandro nervously.

"Alessandro," Ezio said gently knowing the guard had far less confidence then most would guess. "You've seen the others spar before and you picked up on Entico's habit of glancing down at his feet. You should trust your instincts more, a more experienced opponent could have figured out you had spotted a weakness and corrected it before you could capitalize or worse, lead you into a trap."

"And Enrico, you should no better then to focus attention away from your opponent." He chastised.

"Though you did a good job in getting him backed near a wall, and limiting his available movements."

"Alessandro, you should work on your awareness of your surroundings. If that had been a roof edge or a cliff, things might have gotten messy." Ezio stated.

"That being said, you executed the correct counter with perfect timing and technique, and managed to successfully reverse the situation. You took a disadvantage and turned it into an advantage." The master assassin complimented.

"When your attempts at grappling with your opponent failed, you should have dough another way sooner." Ezio chastised the recruit.

"Alessandro, I don't want to see you make the mistake of assuming that what you have seen so far of your opponent is the only style they know."

"I think that particular lesson really sunk in already, Maestro." Alessandro said gathering a few chuckles.

"Hopefully." Ezio replied turning to the weapon's rack.

These were all just dull edged replicas of the real deal. He didn't need to explain to the doctor how someone had managed to get something sharp and pointy creatively imbedded in themselves.

"Weapons next. For those of you who have already done this, grab and go. Those of you newer, look over the racks and feel free to pick things up and examine them. Find something your comfortable with."

Ezio didn't make any comment if he noticed that Alessandro was still following at the edge of the group he didn't say anything to bring attention to it.

He looked at the myriad of weapons laid neatly on their racks and was once more completely lost. He knew of course that weapons could be as creative and varied as those who used them, but he only really had experience with his father's old sword and the dagger he'd gotten from that thief. As the guards didn't really use much beyond the standard weapons he hadn't seen much either. Crossbows, while powerful, he knew at least were not for him. Nor did he particularly like pole arms. Not that it narrowed things down much.

Everyone else seemed to at least have an idea of what they were looking for.

Except him.

His eyes were drawn to the shorter weapons. He had to admit that while he still cherished his father's old sword, it had always felt clumsy to him. He had liked the dagger he had gotten much better and had found himself playing with it whenever he was bored. But there was still too much variety and he found himself overwhelmed.

"Try this," a voice said beside him.

Alessandro turned around to look and found his partner from the previous spar standing there. Wasn't he supposed to be practicing weapon work? Enrico was more experienced then the group that Alessandro had decided to joined for today.

The man was holding a curved sword. Though not as curved as the scimitar, which he would have at least recognized. It had a rounded hilt, unlike the squarish shape he was used to.

He took the blade carefully anyway, curious now. Alessandro drew it slowly out of its wooden sheathe. The blade was heavier then his father's old blade but much better balanced, he could feel even with his inexperience. It was a blade for slashing rather then stabbing. He didn't have the full range of motion that he would have with a regular straight European style blade but the design of the hilt made it very easy to strike directly with the edge. It was different, like him... He liked it. He really really liked it, he thought with a boyish grin.

"Thank you," Alessandro said gratefully. He knew he'd never have found something like this if he'd had to pick. He most likely would have grabbed something familiar regardless of how wrong it felt in his hands.

"Nessun Problema, fratello." The novice said before turning around to go back to what he was doing before.

Alessandro smiled a real smile for the first time in what seemed like forever. He still had to pick a short weapon, he remembered though.

He turned back to the racks, occasionally picking up the odd dagger before putting it back. He was about to give up and pick something randomly when he spotted a beautifully crafted dagger made of as yet unsharpened steel. The hilt was wrapped in leather which wouldn't wear as easy and would provide a stable grip. It would also be possible to sharpen it so that he wouldn't need to get a entirely new but similar dagger to be battle ready. It needed a good polish, but other then that it seemed perfect.

Alessandro turned back to face Ezio, he hadn't been the last to choose but he had been close to being so. He caught the look of surprise from Ezio over his choice of weapons when he presented them.

He hadn't been the only one to choose a curved blade either. It just didn't appear to be a popular choice. Probably because it required slightly more skill then the atypical straight sword.

The group he was with sort of fell into two lines of their own accord. Alessandro went to stand in the second rank but at a place near the middle so as to at least get a good view.

•_•

Ezio watched as the group divided themselves up neatly. He hadn't been surprised when Enrico had attempted to help the obviously overwhelmed former guard. He had, however, been surprised at the choice of sword mainly because it was almost entirely a cutting sword, and not the kind that would usually be favoured by someone military-trained. That particular sword, a Telwar, would not have even crossed his mind to have chosen. It was the kind of sword you either loved… or you hated.

And it seemed, by Alessandro's expression, that he would be one of the one's who fell in love with the design.

The way the hilt was designed it made it very easy to keep the proper grip. It did have a limited range of extension though, but it's cutting ability far outstripped this slight disadvantage. It was the kind of blade that could easily chop a limb off when executed with proper form.

Somehow, despite how strange it seemed, the blade seemed to suit him to a curious degree.

He noticed that while most of the recruits had exercised common sense, some had still chosen weapons completely unsuited for them. Blades that were either too heavy or long for them to handle. Or else were too small to be effective for that particular novice's individual fighting style.

They would figure it out sooner or later.

He had been surprised that after days of asking, Alessandro had finally taken him up on his offer. And now, it seemed, he was either to curious to stop or he seriously just wanted some instruction.

His mind jumped once for to the other novice, Enrico, who he waits for the group to settle. Perhaps it was time to promote him. A glance in the direction of that group showed that the novice in question had taken it upon himself to help the other novices with their form. He certainly had potential.

It hasn't escaped his notice that the novice had been spending most of his time lately, helping his comrades improve.

Ezio turned back to the group he was supposed to be teaching. Chastising himself for his distracted mind. He wondered just how much this group would develop in the coming weeks.

"Alright, these are the basic strikes and the foundation for all future ones..." Ezio began.

•••••••••••••

*Tenkan technique, akidou. (Can be found in a variety of other martial arts as well.)

For those of you who don't have the same obsession with sharp pointy objects as me. Here are examples of the type of weapons.

tulwar sword (ex. . ) but without the hand-guard. Yes it's a Middle East styled blade but while uncommon to the area at the time, it was more because the Europeans of the time preferred. straighter blades then because of rarity. It is not unreasonable that the assassins might have had one in their possession or the irritating more common shamshir styled hilt but with the blade of tulwar design. They could even have had a true shamshir such as those of Persian [:)] or Indian design. I personally hate the shamshir styled hilts because they feel odd in my hand but I like the curve in the blades of the shamshir (a bit more curved then a Tulwar)

Medici Renaissance Dagger. Don't blame me for the name. This weapon style of dagger was actually very common in Europe for the time period. Also there is an interesting little history lesson for those of you who care about such things. ( . ?item=403721&amp;name=Medici+Renaissance+Dagger#)

not my favourite type of dagger. I prefer the Karambit. But then I'm a weirdo like that. ( /yBlHjT2r8Qw)


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you scarlettflamedance for the wonderful review. Don't worry, he'll eventually get himself into the brotherhood and have an antagonist and real enemies.

Yeah, parkour can be fun. I've got this awesome video of one of our little group doing a superman front flip. Totally reminds me of the Leap of Faith in AC.

It's kinda funny because he's so ridiculously humble about his skills too. He's always saying how 'anyone can do it' and 'It just takes practice.' He's got a YouTube channel too.

•••••••••••••

Alessandro slumped in the chair next to the fireplace. He was physically and mentally exhausted after what passed for 'basic training' with Ezio. He hadn't even been worked that hard in the guards. Even now his mind was still stuck going over and over what he had learned about attacking, blocks, and counters. Who knew there were so many ways to stab them with the pointy end?

Alessandro was just beginning to nod off when he heard footsteps approaching. With a yawn, he managed to rouse himself enough to see who it was. He didn't know this assassin, or at least he didn't think he did anyway.

"Some of us were going into Roma proper and we wanted to extend the invitation." The woman said. "Surely there is something you wish to do in the city?" It wasn't exactly a secret that he hadn't strayed far from the hideout since he was brought here. Partly because he wasn't sure how safe he was in the city anymore and also hadn't known if he was allowed to leave. After all, he had been a guard and he knew where their base was located. Who was to say he wouldn't sell them out? He wouldn't, he knew. But not everyone might believe that and the last thing he wanted was for someone to think he was sneaking out to betray them.

But then, his father had been a frequent visitor to the area around the hideout, though he'd never been inside it. And he had been allowed to come and go as he pleased.

Alessandro pushed himself out of the chair. It had been to long, he decided, since he roamed the streets at will.

"Certainly, if it's really alright…?" He trailed off.

"We wouldn't have asked otherwise," the assassin replied.

"I will just drop my weapons off in my room and then we can go then." Alessandro said making a few steps in the direction of his room.

"Keep your weapons," the assassin suggested. "We aren't looking for trouble but it's better to have your weapons and not need them then to need them and not have them on you."

She made sense, Alessandro had to admit, and so long as they didn't draw attention to themselves they should be fine.

Alessandro followed the assassin recruit to the rest of the group that was waiting to leave.

"Maestro Ezio has given us a list of things to pick up on the way back, but otherwise we can spend the rest of our day as we please." She said.

"Let me introduce those that you haven't already met." The female assassin said, probably realizing that Alessandro wouldn't know most of those here.

"Enrico you already know from earlier. The man beside him is Gavino." She was interrupted by another assassin.

"In those blindingly bright white robes of his he certainly looks the part." A female assassin said, teasing her comrade.

She was dressed in robes of a dark red like dry blood and seemed not to notice the annoyed look sent at her for interrupting.

"This little urchin is Marietta*." The woman wore a mask, unlike the others, and kept her hood up.

"The twins over there," when mentioned they gave a cheerful wave in his direction, "are Romano* and Stephano*." She informed him.

She went through the rest of the small group quickly and Alessandro committed the names to memory as best he could. Eventually she remembered that she hadn't actually introduced herself, at which point he found out her name was Carina.*

He introduced himself and their group started to wander outside and Alessandro followed them. They crossed the bridge and made for a nearby side street. Alessandro was confused for a moment before watching the twins make for a stack of boxes and climbing on top. Others simply grabbed onto unseen handholds on the wall and climbed up that way. Alessandro stood there stupidly looking up before someone realized the problem.

"Here," one of the twins said climbing back down. He honestly couldn't tell them apart. "Grab this ledge here," he demonstrated, standing on the crate stack. "Then push off with your feet and hook your fingers into the window…"

Alessandro watched carefully until the man made it to the top where he hauled himself over the roof edge and onto the roof itself. He made his way up the crates easily and with a quick glance up, very high up Alessandro noted, he began to climb slowly to the top focusing only on what was immediately in front of him so he wouldn't have to think on how far up he was.

Helping hands grabbed him and pulled him up over the edge where he sat for a moment.

"You get used to it." Marietta said with a shrug for explanation.

Alessandro stood up and dusted himself off. He could see some of the faces were slightly worried for him. Whether they were worried about his skill level or that they were pushing him into something he wasn't ready for Alessandro didn't know.

"Now what?" Alessandro asked. A scarce hour ago he had been ready to fall asleep and now he found that in the excitement of something new, he had a renewed energy.

The group grinned as a whole, seeing as he was still up for adventure.

"Now, we run." Was the answer given as they turned one by one to jog across the roof.

The first jump across a gap had Alessandro hesitating and he stopped suddenly at the edge looking down. He could feel his heart trying to run off without him. Logically he knew the space wasn't that far at all. He could clear it easily if he tried, hell, he could almost step across. But the other part of his mind was determined that he know just how far down it was.

"Hey, don't over think it so much." Enrico said, having jumped back and kneeled down beside Alessandro.

He stepped back a few steps and Enrico followed him.

"We'll jump together alright?" The assassin in training said.

Alessandro nodded and backed up a few more steps before taking off at a slow run. He closed his eyes and threw himself across landing several feet in on the other side with a thump.

Enrico landed silently beside him.

"How do you land so quietly?" Alessandro asked puzzled.

"Land on the balls of your feet and bend your knees more to absorb the impact." Someone else said and they were off again.

As each gap came up Alessandro would try to be quieter and he did manage some improvement.

Every once in a while someone would veer off course so they could swing off something or vault over another object just for fun.

They were coming up to a part of Roma that Alessandro knew was near his father's place and he decided to drop by.

"This is my stop," Alessandro said pointing to a decent sized house across the street from the roof they were on.

Now, only one question remained… how to get down.

The assassins around him were grinning as if they knew what he was trying to puzzle out. With a grin, one of the assassins took off at a run and launched themselves off the rooftop despite Alessandro's squeak of protest.

The former guard rushed to the edge of the roof, expecting to see a smear of a former human being on the ground. Instead, he saw nothing abnormal at all. People went about their day as if a crazy assassin hadn't just thrown themselves to their death a moment ago. There was no body to be seen either.

A moment later he jumped as from out of a haystack a head popped out.

The assassin climbed out of the hay cart and waved from the ground. He could hear laughter behind him and he guessed that this was a common enough occurrence that everyone else already knew what would happen.

"It's not that hard, really." The red robed assassin stated, obviously trying not to resume laughing.

"Just watch," Marietta said, walking up to the edge. She held her arms up to the side pausing to savour the moment before pushing off with her feet. Her body turned midair and she landed in the hay without harm.

If that was how they were expecting him to get down then they could think again.

There was no way in the world that someone could convince him to jump of a building.

He would stay up here forever if that was the case, but he was not going to jump.

Not a chance.

"Relax," Enrico said gently. He had been afraid of heights before joining the brotherhood so he understood the reluctance. He was still afraid of heights to an extent, but now he could control it at least.

"You don't have to jump. They're just showing off… well, actually I'm pretty sure Marietta is just to lazy to climb down but that's not the point." Carina added unable to keep the amused tone out of her voice.

Alessandro breathed a sigh of relief.

"Here, I'll go first so I can guide your feet and Carina can climb beside you to help if you need it." Enrico said already flipping himself over the edge of the roof.

The three managed to get down with little trouble and Alessandro headed towards his father's house with a grin.

His grin fell when he saw four guards all but dragging his father out of his own home. He knew full well his father would never break a law, so why?

As he got closer he overheard the guards talking.

So it was his fault. Apparently they planned to use his father as bait to catch a certain misplaced guard.

He couldn't let that happen.

Alessandro's hand fell towards his sword and he was about to draw it when he was stopped.

"There's a dozen of us and four of them." Enrico whispered.

"But if you draw your blade now, then the four guards stationed over there will get into it. That will make noise, as will the panicking innocents, and that patrol of six that just turned the corner will join the melee. Those aren't good odds."

"We will save your father. But we need to be more subtle, alright?"

Enrico took a look at the panicked expression. It had eased somewhat with the explanation and reassurance but it was still there, just underneath the surface.

Alessandro took the hand off his sword and looked towards the man he was beginning to think of as a more then a friend, a brother almost.

"What do we do?" He asked.

"Blend into the crowds and follow them." Enrico replied sending some of the group back to the rooftops.

"And then?" Alessandro said, needing to know.

"Strike when the opportunity presents itself." The assassin replied.

Alessandro nodded and tried to copy Enrico's moves as best he could. They followed for a few streets before Alessandro whispered a warning.

"There's a checkpoint ahead. Lots of guards with overlapping patrols and a few stationary ones. If we don't act soon…" he trailed off.

Enrico's look darkened. He held a hand up ready and as the guards turned out of the public eye for a moment he signalled.

Arrows and bolts from crossbows rained down. Even the occasional throwing knife.

The guards were dead, all but one but it was too late to save him anyway.

Alessandro walked up and made sure his father was alright. The old man looked shaken but otherwise fine.

One of the assassin's went to finish the dying man and Alessandro snapped around.

It wasn't the man's cries for mercy that caused the swift change in attention. It was that he recognized the voice all too well.

"Marco?" He asked, turning around. He had been friends with the man at one point. Protected him whenever he could, knowing both were out of their depth in the guard ranks.

The man he had known would never have turned on a friend.

"Things have changed." Marco said, seemingly knowing what was going through his mind at the moment. "You left."

"The choice was taken out of my hands." Alessandro said knowing that while that was technically true, he had been well on the way to leaving already.

"Not everyone is as stubborn as you." Marco spat. "Some of us want to actually make something of our lives."

"So you, what, joined the Templars?" Alessandro said in disbelief.

"They're not exactly the good guys here." He added.

"How long are you going to hold on to that foolish ideal of freedom? Only power matters, and the people never have any power, only the illusion of it." His old friend said with the all the conviction of someone who believed whole heartedly in a cause.

"Here's the real secret, amico." Marco said sarcastically.

"They don't want freedom."

"Who, the Templars? Of course not, they only seek control." Alessandro said confused, feeling like they were talking about two different things.

"No, the people." Marco contradicted. "The responsibility is too much for them. It's why they are so quick to fall in line as soon as someone takes charge."

"They want to be told what to do!"**

"Now you're just projecting your wants and needs onto others." Alessandro said exhausted.

He had lost what had once been a friend. They had started in the guards as friends but now, because of many factors, they parted as enemies.

"It was my idea to draw you into a trap. Your blind loyalty will get you killed one day." Marco said viciously.

Alessandro sighed.

"May you find the peace in death, which evaded you in life." The assassin at his side said solemnly, sensing the two were done talking.

"Requiescat in pace."

Alessandro turned his face away and closed his eyes at the last moment. He couldn't bare to watch.

He felt the tears of betrayal mix with those of grief.

He could hear the assassin rummaging around in Marco's pockets. A part of him understood that if he had been working with the Templars, then he might have important information on him. But the other half of him wanted to slap the assassin's hands away and demand he show some respect for the dead.

A rustle of papers and he turned to look as the assassin scanned them.

Silently, he was handed the papers and he read them his face getting more and more pale.

He now knew who had sold him out to the mad captain what seemed like ages ago now. That the Templars had every intention of doing the same to his family as they had to him, horrified him. His mother dying had not been part of their calculations.

And it had been all done under the orders of one individual, with the blessings of the Borgia.

•••••••••••••

*Gavino- means: white hawk.

*Marietta- means: rebellious child.

*Romano- means: from Rome.

*Stephano- means: crown or wreath.

*Carina- means: dear little one.

Names taken from a list of common Italian renaissance era names.

**paraphrased quote of Haythem Keneway


	10. Chapter 10

So here's another update at last.

Thank you so much Pyro for the wonderful updates, which is kinda why I've had the motivation to update. I'm on some pretty trippy painkillers right now so in between being high as a kite and my next dose I'm writing.

Pyro- as someone who does know how to use some types of swords (personally the Telwar is one of my favourite swords as while as the Syrian Shamshir) it also annoys me to no end when people assume all sword styles are interchangeable. For instance I can't spar one handed. I need either a knife or small shield in the other hand or a two handed weapon. If I have an empty hand i tend to try to block attacks with a blade that I don't have and either end up with bashed fingered or have to scurry to adjust my stance. I also have an unbridled hatred for any kind of switchblade

/pocketknife /folded knife weapon. One day I'll lose a finger to those damn things. Every time I try to close one I end up needing stitches. (Which only makes me wonder how much pain poor Altair had to face when that finger of his got lopped off. My great gramps is missing the same finger and I've recently got the old man fixated on the AC series. It kinda makes both of us laugh)

Anyway, the choice of sword came mostly from the fact that it's the one I know personally the best. I know the attack and defence forms, as while as common mistakes (having made them myself). It's easier then trying to research sword forms for a specific blade type or fighting style.

As for your ch9 comment. Yeah, betrayal sucks. Been there. But I needed a way not just to push him towards the assassins but as a catalyst to making him grow up. He still had that slightly innocent view on life. If he had kept it in its entirety I don't believe it would have been reasonable for him to join the brotherhood as his mind would keep trying to find another way besides killing. In short he would be to irresponsible to handle the mental aspect.

Anyway, next chapter.

•••••••••••••

Alessandro paced his room. If he kept this up he'd wear a hole in the floor. He didn't understand why the Borgia were so interested in one missing guard. He didn't even know much about the Borgia beyond that they were entirely self serving and only cared for their own interests.

Well, that and they seemed to hate the assassins with a somewhat disturbing passion.

He needed more information.

Who were the Borgia really? Who was Ezio really? What did they really want with Italy? Where were all these orders coming from? Why were they so desperate to capture him again? Why did they hate the assassins so much? When did this all begin? Was it recent or did it go back?

Some of those he could answer and some he had partial answers to. He knew Ezio was an assassin, that he killed people. But he also knew him as a good friend and an honourable man. He knew that Ezio was fighting for freedom, for the 'liberation of Roma' to use his words. But not what that actually meant.

What was freedom really?

He knew the Borgia hated the assassins for their tendency to kill certain key individuals and for constantly messing up their plans. But he sensed there was some deeper story then what appeared on the surface.

He knew he could go to Ezio, ask his questions. But he had been warned once before about being careful. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to know the answers.

But was being blind to the truth any better?

He knew there would be no easy answers.

While he was probably to deep to back out now, if he got any deeper the. There would be no turning back.

Could he really throw his lot in with the assassins? With people who killed?

But the guards hadn't been precisely innocent either and he knew that before joining. Yet he joined with them easily enough.

It was doing him no good going over this alone. He was just confusing himself further.

It used to be that he would bounce his thoughts of his father but he didn't want the old man any more involved then he already was.

Ezio then?

Alessandro made for where he knew Ezio's room to be before he lost his nerve. He wasn't quite comfortable in discussing something so personal but he needed to be doing something.

And what he had been doing was of no help.

He kicked on the door and entered when Ezio acknowledged him.

The assassin looked exhausted, though he barely registered this before he started pacing again.

•_•

Ezio leaned back in his chair, arms crossed in front of him. He knew something was bothering the young man in front of him. He had seen it building over the last few days, ever since his father had almost been taken hostage.

And now it has boiled over.

"Who are you really?" The man asked seemingly randomly.

Ezio knew better. He also knew what the former guard was really asking. Alessandro wasn't questioning his loyalty or his honour or anything else like that. The young man just wanted answers to what the hell was going on.

"I am an assassin. I am also your friend." He reminded.

"I, and the other assassins and our allies, work against the Templars" he said quietly.

So Alessandro finally wanted to ask the important questions then?

•_•

Alessandro stopped pacing again from shock.

"Templars? As in the Knights Templar?" Alessandro said confused.

"The very same." Ezio replied.

"But weren't they around during the crusades?" Alessandro asked, trying to dredge up what he remembered from history. Why had he never paid attention to his lessons?

"Yes they were. After the crusades ended they simply went underground. They never really dissolved like they were supposed to have." Ezio explained, choosing his words carefully so as to not overwhelm the boy anymore then he already would be.

Okay, ancient order of Templars still around. While it was hard to believe he knew Ezio wouldn't lie outright to him. He wondered if he really could handle the answers to his other questions if they were all going to be as shocking.

"And the Borgia…? They're Templars too aren't they?" Alessandro stated more then asked but the question was still there.

"Yes," was Ezio's reply and Alessandro resumed his pacing.

"Where are the orders coming from? Why do they want to get their hands on me so badly?" He asked.

Ezio sighed before answering. "I don't know where the orders are coming from but I know they're being given with the Borgia's blessing and support. As to why? Your guess is as good as mine. Your not the first guard to leave the ranks, through proper channels or… extenuating circumstances. I have no idea why they are so set on getting to you."

Ezio knew it wasn't what he wanted to hear but it was the truth.

He only hoped the distraught man in front of him could accept it.

"So if the Templars are still around and the enemies of the assassins… then this all started centuries ago?" Alessandro asked baffled at the amount of time these two factions had been fighting against each other.

"Yes." Ezio answered not bothering to go into the whole history of the orders.

"So why?" He asked.

Ezio raised his eyebrows at the young man. That wasn't exactly a specific question.

"Why do these two sides… the Templars…" his mind still had difficulty wrapping itself around the idea of an ancient, supposedly extinct, order was still around.

"And the assassins hate each other?" Ezio finished for him.

"The assassins fight for freedom while the Templars fight for control. The assassins believe that everyone should think for themselves, rather then have ideals forced on them." Ezio explained carefully. "The Templars think that somebody needs to step up and lead humanity for their own good, whether they like it or not."

"Whether you can accept that explanation or not is up to you, but it is the truth as I know it." The assassin said. He knew if he tried to make the Templars into the bad guys rather then just present the facts he would almost certainly lose Alessandro. As an ally maybe, but almost certainly as a friend.

"I'm not to keen on being controlled by anyone right now." Alessandro said and Ezio allowed himself to relax.

He hadn't missed the warning in that statement, but he wouldn't lose his friend tonight at least.

Alessandro felt that he was in over his head much more deeply then he had been before. He also realized now how much Ezio had been trying to protect him from and he had unconsciously clutched onto that protection like a drowning man. And in a very real sense he was drowning.

He didn't know what to do or where to turn next.

He also understood that while Ezio could provide opportunities and a way of figuring those things out, the assassin wouldn't just give him the answers he really needed.

Not because Ezio didn't want to but rather because he couldn't.

Those were for Alessandro to figure out himself.

"I will continue to investigate what the Templars want with you." Ezio said, breaking the silence unexpectedly.

"But it's not the only thing they are up to and I can't ignore some of the more… serious plots."

Alessandro knew that by 'serious' be actually meant 'more important' but he didn't begrudge his friend for that.

"Why is this such a hard decision?" Alessandro muttered.

"It would effect your entire life from here on in." Ezio answered softly.

"You wouldn't be able to go back and taking a life is never easy. It should never become easy either." The assassin said quietly.

Ezio knew they were coming to a head. Alessandro would either accept things as he had explained, and most likely join the assassins. Or he would reject it, either out of disbelief or fear.

All the master assassin could do was wait and hope.

Meanwhile Alessandro had once more resumed his pacing. Fingers tapping on the hilt of his dagger.

Only one more question remained that he could find an answer to right now.

Could he really throw his lot in with the assassins?

•••••••••••••

Sorry for the cliffy, but I doubt that anyone hasn't already figured out the answer to that particular question already anyway.

Sorry for the lack of updates. I finally found out why I've been having such bad stomach aches the last few years. Back in '05 I had a nasty riding accident that I shouldn't have survived and apparently the doctors missed the fact that my intestine managed to tear near where it joins the stomach... (I guess it got lost among the more serious injuries at the time) Short story, I've been leaking inside for years (and I just though my stomach was getting bigger because of my sweet tooth) from a very small rip. (Stomach acid and intestinal stuff is bad for you, who woulda thought, eh?) It took forever to find a doctor to take me seriously (apparently if you're female it must be PMS.) it wasn't until they tried to do some scan thingy and realized there was so much fluid in my abdomen that they couldn't properly see what was inside anymore. So if I'm sparse on updates it's probably because I'm high on painkillers at the moment. Also, doctors are secretly sadists! Anyone who can be happy at a job that involves cutting people open and poking at their insides is probably either a serial killer or a doctor. Fun fact: if you think invasive surgery without anesthesia was a thing reserved for the long distant past, no, no it isn't. It turns out that most anesthesias are also muscle relaxants. The heart is a big muscle. It's also easier to keep it beating then to restart it. And die to previous injuries from my accident and a few afterwords, my pulse is already really slow. Slowing it further and then stressing my body is apparently inadvisable. Ever have anyone poke things inside you without painkillers? It's not fun. Doctors are evil, despite being helpful.


	11. Chapter 11

Sorry for the wait. They switched my pain meds to a different and a less strong painkiller. Which aren't actually doing anything at all so I've stopped taking them, since all they do is make me sleepy. And then my horse thought it would be funny to dump me is some Devil's Club. For those unfamiliar with the plant, it sucks. It really really sucks.

•••••••••••••

Alessandro was about to open his mouth when a knock came at the door. Instead he stepped back and to the side, concealing himself against the wall in the low light.

Ezio called for whomever it was to enter and the door opened.

It was a recruit, one he hadn't seen around since he had come to stay here. But that wasn't a surprise as Ezio had the assassin recruits doing missions all over the place.

Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had met her before. Perhaps he had seen her on the street at some point, when he was still a guard?

The recruit shook her hood off, muttering something about the heat. It took him a moment to realize where he had seen her before. Only now that he could see her face clearly, when the recruit glanced in his direction. She quickly turned back to Ezio to deliver a lengthy report.

He couldn't help but compare the meeting with the only other time he had seen her. Back then, she had been a terrified girl with her back against a wall and unable to even put up a token measure of fighting back. Now she was calm, cool, and collected. There was a confidence that hadn't been there before. A surety in herself and her own self-worth. She wasn't a defenceless or helpless girl anymore. The way she held herself said that she would be more then happy to prove that she knew what she was doing now.

The woman, after sparing him one more confused glance, left the room.

Was everyone here like that? Is that how Ezio found new recruits, by saving those who had found trouble with the guards?

Alessandro didn't realize he was still staring at the door until Ezio made a deliberate noise to break him out of his thoughts.

Alessandro reviewed all the information he had in his head. Not just what he had been told but also what he had seen and experienced for himself. While he wasn't as certain about the whole killing people thing he knew that he sided with the assassins worldview in this secret war.

He also knew that he couldn't go back to being blissfully ignorant of what was happening behind the scenes. He couldn't ignore such blatant abuse of power. It just wasn't in his nature.

While he had been lost in thought, Ezio had circled around his desk to stand in front of him. He knew his life as a guard had come to an end awhile ago. Perhaps that career was doomed from the start. He also knew he needed some kind of purpose, something to strive for, in order to fully live. That was also a part of who he was.

He winced as he remembered all too well how the whip had bit into him and his so called comrades had watched like hungry little vultures.

There was a warm hand on his shoulder suddenly. And he remembered that while his fellow guards may have turned their backs Ezio never had. He wasn't the kind to leave people to suffer alone and unaided.

There was only one option for him really. Well, only one he could find himself living with anyway.

He wouldn't kneel as he knew many of the recruits had done before.

He didn't see Ezio as his superior. Or rather, he knew that skill wise Ezio was better then him and that the assassin had more experience. But while Alessandro might look up to and admire the assassin, he still thought of Ezio as a friend first and a mentor second.

All that needed be done now was to say it out loud. To vocalize his intentions so that there would be no more doubt.

"You have been my friend now for many months," he paused watching Ezio smile, "I will fight beside you. Perhaps, hopefully, one day I may be your equal with a blade, but for now I offer what little skill I possess, to use as you will."

Ezio smile turned into a full fledged grin of pleasure. He still had his friend and now a new ally. He would do everything in his power to make sure that Alessandro would never regret it. It was one more person he had to protect, and he had been doing a poor job of it lately. But it was worth it.

"I would be glad to have you fight at my side, brother." Ezio said.

•_•

Weeks later saw Alessandro improve greatly in skill from the clumsy guard he had been. When he set his mind to a task, he committed himself completely. Spending hours everyday going over any corrections to his form and mentally tracking the mistakes he made. He still wasn't sure about the freerunning or certain recruits and their apparent inability to spend a few more seconds to climb down off the damn buildings rather then just jumping. He didn't think there was any way that anybody would convince him to jump off some ridiculously tall building and aim for some tiny scrap of hay.

Ezio hadn't sent him on any missions yet. Despite the fact that he was the best in his particular group. Truthfully he was nervous about what would happen when he got his first mission. Most of the other recruits in his group and from a few other groups had already gone on their first missions.

When would it be his turn?

And what would he have to do?

On the other side, he was getting to know his fellow recruits... His brothers... It still felt odd to call them that, better. He only made one enemy when it became well known that he had previously employed as a guard. Apparently there had only been a select few that had been there when he was rescued and they had mostly kept their mouths shut.

But that one recruit just hated him.

He hadn't understood until Enrico had taken him aside and explained how the guards had destroyed her life and slaughtered her family. So rather then working through it she just lashed out at any reminder.

He had tried to be more understanding since. Tried to show that he wasn't like those guardsmen and that he had no intention of harming anyone unless they intended to harm someone else. But she couldn't seem to believe it and eventually he stopped trying so hard to convince her. Last he heard, she was convinced he was secretly a spy sent by the Templars, to do what he didn't know.

He did however know that her blind hatred would get her killed if she didn't learn to control it.

Alessandro just guessed that was the problem with recruiting from those who had been victimized by the Borgia and the guards.

He was about to head outside and see if anyone was bored enough to have a race across the rooftops. He needed the practice and if he let his competitive side out then he found himself hesitating less when in came to more tricky manoeuvres. It helped his speed and endurance too, which was a bonus.

He heard his name called and automatically turned to face the speaker.

There had been some poisoning during a play or something and Ezio had taken it upon himself to help. The more experienced recruits had been acting as backup. Apparently Ezio was back now, though the master assassin was later then he would have thought such a thing would take.

"Alessandro!" Ezio said, sounding exasperated.

Apparently he had been lost in thought and staring into space again. It was one of his weaknesses that he needed to work on. He overthought things to much and usually ended up second guessing himself.

"How did everything go?" Alessandro asked, curious.

Ezio sighed. "We lost a good man today." The assassin said with despair colouring his voice.

Alessandro put a hand on his friend's shoulder when he came over. He knew how personally Ezio took each loss, every failed mission, any injuries outside of training... Logically they both knew that there was nothing that they could have done to change the outcome, but that was cold comfort.

"Was the mission a success at least?" He asked quietly, knowing how much Ezio would beat himself up over it if the mission had failed too.

"The mission was a success, more so then I could have hoped for actually." Ezio said sounding a little more like himself.

"You remember how La Volpe was set on the idea that Machiavelli was a traitor?" Ezio asked.

Alessandro had never actually met this Machiavelli but, like quite a few people, he had heard about him even before he had joined the assassins.

"Hmm," Alessandro made a noncommittal noise.

"Well, I found the real traitor and managed to stop La Volpe from getting out of hand." Ezio explained.

"Well, that's good. I guess La Volpe will stop boycotting Machiavelli every move and opinion now?" Alessandro stated.

"Hopefully." Ezio said dryly. The last few days having taken a toll on his patience.

"You needed me for something?" Alessandro asked, hoping to change the topic.

"Si, I have a mission for you." Ezio said.

Alessandro tried to keep a straight face, but all he could think was 'finally'. Something must have shown on his face since Ezio adopted a look of amusement.

"It took me a while to find a mission to match your skill level that wouldn't involve killing many, if any, guards." Ezio said knowingly.

"I need you to free a prisoner." Ezio told him.

"The Templars have detained one of our valuable informants. Free him from his cell and see that he escapes the city." The master assassin told him. He knew that Alessandro could hold his own now but it didn't stop him from worrying. There were always things that could go wrong, or unexpected obstacles in the way.

"I'm sending Enrico with you but due to the nature of this mission he will only be able to help after you've broken the prisoner out of jail."

Alessandro could understand the reasoning there. It was harder to sneak in with two people then one.

"It will be done." Alessandro said. He didn't quite know how it would be done but he would manage. He couldn't let Ezio down after all.

Ezio gave him a tight smile. He knew that this might be the last time he saw his friend, though he certainly hoped otherwise.

Alessandro left the small study and Ezio waited a few moments before he climbed the stairs to the top of the building's roof. He stood, on the tiny wooden platform where the novices took their Leap of Faith. Night was just beginning but with his Eagle Vision he could see two people, a brilliant blue glow, make their way across the bridge.

"Hopefully you can get in and out without alerting the Templars." He muttered to himself. He knew how messy things could turn out and he always worried about the recruits first few missions.

•••••••••••••


End file.
